Peacetime confusion
by Vanto
Summary: She observes the flowers and groan, only now noticing how withered they truly were. Actually trying to make things live was more complicated than she thought. (Post-Conquest).
1. Of knives and friendships

She observes the flowers and groan, only now noticing how withered they truly were.

Beruka only recently entered the business of making things _live_.

….

It has been one year since the end of the great Continental War with Hoshido.

The demise of "King Garon", ultimately revealed to be naught but a mud construct of sort, and the ultimate defeat of Hoshido led to an initial period of unrest and troubles, but peace eventually came. Or, rather, a wary, temporary peace settled.

Following the end of the war, the main group disbanded. Most of the Royals came back to the capital, with the sole exception of Corrin. The "traitor prince" did go back to Krakenburg, but only for the celebration and to witness his brother's ascent to the throne. After the ceremony, the blue-haired man promptly retreated to a small house, close to the edge of a small town near the capital, being accompanied by his wife.

A few people were surprised by his decision, wondering why Corrin would give up on the castle and live in quasi-solitude in the countryside, but Beruka understood his decision. And was sort of content with the matter. Living in the castle meant living with Lady Camilla, and for all her skills, all her grace, and all her beauty, the elder princess was still a little bit too emotional whenever the two lovers were in sight.

Furthermore, the life of a princess was not one that she desired. She was much more content with living in relative isolation. Her status and presence in the castle would mean that she would need to interact with a lot of persons. And while she was not shy, she unfortunately found herself involved in plenty of awkward situations during her brief stay in the capital, often engaging in long silences during her attempts at interactions with the servants.

Around Corrin, and perhaps a few lucky chosen, she felt much more natural, and smiles or other emotions came to her more easily. It helped that they were recently informed of something that, according to the books she read, should be met with immense joy from the two veterans.

Beruka was pregnant. Soon, another member of the royal bloodlines will lay their eyes upon the land that they rule upon.

…..

"Did I ever tell you that it's weird to see you like this ? No armour, no weapons, and…"

Beruka's right hand silently moved over to a yellow pillow and lifted it gently, partly revealing a dagger. Selena's eyes moved over to it in surprise, and she folded her arms.

"Why am I not surprised ?"

"It is a common habit of mine."

Not one that she used too much, however. Weapons that are left lying can be picked up and used by others just as easily after all. And she will definitely drop such a habit after the birth of the baby, since it could be dangerous. Her own "father" has less remorse about it though, often leaving out some painful (but not fatal) traps around their hideouts. She'd learn to be wary even within seemingly safe space.

This apparently was not normal.

Briefly, she thought of it. The task of parenthood was unlike any another. The young woman was skilled at what she does, but raising a child and giving them the tools to thrive was different.

The sound of snapping fingers takes her out of her little pondering, and the wyvern lord's sharp eyes turn upon Selena once more.

"Apologies."

"You should be taking this talk more seriously." Said Selena. "I mean, the last time we ever saw one another was… one year ago, right ? You'd think we'd have more to talk about !"

"You knew where I lived all this time. It is not that far from the castle."

"Yeah, but… I had to take care of some stuff. Couldn't even take a breather after the war and-"

"Be more precise."

"It's nothing really exciting."

"It could provide us with some of this "talk", Selena." Answered Beruka. She was curious, admittedly, but Selena was always a rather… secretive one, to the point where the assassin attempted to follow her a few times. To her great surprise, however, Selena was scarily good at covering her tracks, easily escaping the sight of the blue-haired killer even when the latter was actually focusing.

This did nothing to appease Beruka's worries, but Lady Camilla dismissed her reservations.

"Well, it was less exciting than… the pregnancy ! Yeah, how did you react !"

A silence began to settle.

"Corrin fainted." She admitted.

"Huh ? That's a funny image. The "Hero of Nohr" knocked off his feet by the news of his fatherhood."

Beruka's eye twitched ever so slightly. So slightly that Selena did not even notice, and she stared at the spot next to her.

Corrin would not have reacted well to the designation, not at all. He would've tried to act as if it was no big deal in front of his wife and her friend, perhaps, but he would've spent the rest of the day sulking. And Beruka hated it, for, very much like parenting, she was not trained to really console others. She did try, of course, but he merely put on a bigger smile, and she knew that it did not really help.

Her powerlessness frustrated her. She loved Corrin, in spite of some of his flaws, and her inability to drag her out of his funk was a failure on her part. She tried to "secretly" summon some friends to the house to cheer him up, even the ones that she did not particularly like.

Selena, however, was not invited : She left a year ago, had some sightings around the country, and then knocked at their doorstep one hour ago.

"And how did you react ?"

"I was surprised, then relieved. However, as of right now, I feel tension. My assumption is that I am wondering if I can provide… happiness to my child, and this cause me to be stressed."

"Seems about right. Hey, where's Corrin then ? He should be helping you out ! It's already bad enough that he's not even here…"

The dragon prince left the house, about once per month. The assassin knew that he wanted to be left alone, but still secretly followed him, admittedly curious.

However, he merely sat down in front of the nearby lake, and contemplated the sky or the water for about two hours before leaving. Odd.

Beruka knew that Corrin was a little different after the war. All of them were, of course, but while he was still kind and easy-going, having to battle the denizens of Hoshido, and his own biological brothers, took its toll on him. The young woman proposed, multiple times, to handle the matter hersell or allow his siblings to do it, but fate forced him to fight Ryoma, and fate dragged a half-dead, screaming Takumi for a final battle of sort.

The assassin saw plenty of sights the likes of which would forever impact a lesser person, and learnt to grow used to them. But the sight of a screaming Takumi mowing down her prince came back to her, sometimes, in her nightmares. And in those, he never miraculously got back up.

He blamed himself for it all. For the demises of so many innocent Hoshidians, for the destruction of the country, for the numerous acts of depravity that he was powerless to stop, maybe even for the mysterious vanishing of Azura. And that was, perhaps, the root of all his troubles.

"Corrin is very troubled because of what happened to him."

To Beruka's relief, Selena's eyes grew softer.

"Yeah…. I understand. How do you deal with it ?"

"…"

Selena bite her lips. Beruka awkwardly tried to shift her position. Both women were at an impasse.

"Well, I wanted to see him because… I'm going back home after this, and at least I wanted to see how the main couple was holding up."

"Home ?" she said, ignoring her other comment.

"Yeah, well, probably shouldn't drop it this easily but…"

"I knew it all along." Said Beruka.

"I figured. I'm thankful that you stuck to stalking instead of trying to skewer me in my sleep, though."

"You proved your loyalty. And I could not waste my time following you all day or night. I eventually decided to trust you."

"Right."

An opportunity sprung in Beruka's mind : Defuse the situation with humor.

"But now that you confirmed it, I must act now and eliminate you, in the name of Nohr, before you spill any secrets."

Beruka tried to smile as widely as she could, but after three seconds, found herself confusedly staring at a half-surprised half-frightened Selena. The redhead was seemingly mistaking her joke for a real threat.

The former retainer's smile dropped, going back to her usual poker face.

"This was said with humor in mind, Selena."

"Yeah but… sheesh, you and Lady Camilla, I just never know where you're joking or actually being serious !"

"I am… facetious. However, I can assure you that Lady Camilla will be serious."

"And, and… you making a joke is pretty surreal, seriously !"

"Is it bad ?"

"No ! But…it's pretty creepy." Admitted Selena. "But it's good to see you being this casual, you know ?"

"Elaborate."

"Hey, I've said it before ! No armor."

Beruka stared at her current clothing, of humble fabrication. Her shirt, pants and boots made her feel… weak in a way. Her armour's purpose was to shield her after all, and even when sneaking, she tried to put on some protection. But alas, such was the peril of pregnancy.

At least, she still had her bandana.

"No… forget it."

"Yes."

"And, well, you're technically a princess."

"Yes."

Selena sighed and got up, dusting herself off.

"I don't think I'll be able to come back, so… erm, before I leave. I wanna say that I truly appreciated working with you."

Beruka got up, but responded with a simple raise of her eyebrow.

"You, Lady Camilla and the others may be a crazy bunch, but you're all quite endearing in your own ways. And I have experience with such groups, believe me !"

In answer, the blue-haired assassin checked her pocket, causing Selena to tilt her head slightly. The redhead tensed when she pulled out a "kunai", but the pregnant woman merely gave it to the retainer.

"I looted it off a ninja. If we are to part ways forever, then hold on to this until you die."

"W-hey ! You're giving me a dead guy's knife ?"

"Yes. See this as a token of trust. I am giving you a weapon and excepting you not to slash my throat and stab my eyes."

"Hurgh, even when handing out gifts, you're making it all special !" she huffed. "You know, I always feel weird about being handed gifts too. I always feel like I've got to give one right back."

"The purpose of a gift is to be handed over without excepting payment in return."

"Yeah but… heh, alright, get this."

Serena checked a not-so-small bag tied to her shoulder, and pulled a book out, handing it over to her.

"It's… a book about weapons. You're lucky I bought one before coming here ! You could read it…"

"And use it to provide education to my child, yes."

"Yeah, y-hey, that's pretty illegal !"

Beruka tilted her head, and escorted Selena to her door. Before departing, however, the taller woman leaned in and, of all things, hugged her former co-worker. In answer, the assassin awkwardly wrapped her arms around her back and patted her a little.

The woman was quick to step back, though. Her face was a bit red, and Beruka felt a tinge of sadness.

"… See ya around, Beruka." Said Selena, before quickly turning around, and walking off.

"… See you." Answered her interlocutor. She observed Selena a bit, and then went back in, closing the door and sitting down.

Corrin arrived home a few minutes later.

...

(29/09 edit)

**A/N : **Welcome to my FE Fates fanfic, featuring Beruka and Corrin as the lead ! A year after the events of Conquest, both Beruka and Corrin find themselves with some troubles to resolve, together or on their own, as Kana approaches !

I got this idea and planned to make it a bunch of doodles but I decided to make a fic out of it. I don't even know how it will end, tho I have a basic outline.

I hope that you'll enjoy this fic ! Any reviews or critics are very much appreciated !


	2. Of nightmares and bed covers

Beruka brought the watering can over and sat down, setting down a gardening book next to her.

Taking up the device, she shook it a little and fed the flowers with the water. According to Corrin, this should help them grow.

And yet, they remained dead, for now.

…

Corrin leaned forward and Beruka wrapped her arms around his body, their lips briefly meeting before they both pulled back, with the assassin now having a small smile on her own.

They were never quite the "physical" couple like Arthur and Effie. Beruka was not really a cuddly person after all, and Corrin himself was quite shy and not really into such grand romantic gestures. A few quiet kisses here and there, perhaps some hand-holding, cuddles when they felt bold, but never anything more. It was even worse in public, which is why they moved away from the castle.

She did try to be more forthcoming now, to attempt to appease him whenever he felt stressed or had one of his moments. However, her limited experience in such matters meant that she usually made things more awkward, to her regret.

Corrin was quite tall, enough to outright tower over his wife, and was quite lean but deceptively fit, with something of a muscular build because of his wartime experience and draconic features. He has bright blue hair, with two longer bangs on each side of his forehead. He had sharp red eyes, making him look intimidating at first glance (to his regret) and recently acquired some bags beneath his eyes.

Unlike her, he's been wearing his white armour all-day now. It was a step-up from early into the year, when he somehow decided to wear his enormous great knight get-up. At least the white armour was far less cumbersome, and she could at least understand why he'd try to wear some protection.

"I met Selena on the way home." He said, engaging the conversation. She saw that he put down a bag of some sort shortly before the hug, her eyes quietly analysing the container before she turned them towards her husband.

"Good. She expressed frustration over your…"

"Absence ? I understand. I was shopping and, you know, I always get really hesitant about what to buy."

He was a poor liar.

But at least, he was telling the truth about Selena. In spite of her difficulties at socializing, Beruka was good at picking up social clues and when someone was lying or not. She recognized the shifty eyes, the brief wavers in tone, the hesitation, body language… the Assassin knew how it worked, if only out of necessity for her job.

And obviously, he had no way to know that Selena was there beforehand, so his mention was true. Though she was surprised that he only needed a few minutes to talk with her. More than surprised, the assassin was also worried about Selena dropping his title during the conversation or unwittingly pressing his buttons during their conversation.

"False."

"W-why ?"

"It only took you a few minutes." She said, with a smirk. Beruka was quite pleased when Corrin answered with a brief chuckle, glad that this attempt at humor worked out for he, and also glad that he was laughing for once.

"We were never too… close during the war. She scolded me for nearly missing her, told me about the knife you gave her, congratulated me about the baby and then said that she had to go."

He walked into the kitchen slash dining room. It stood very close to the entrance, to the left of the draconic prince. On the right, there was the living room. The hallway in front of them had the stairs, leading to the house's first floor. The door at the end of said hallway, past the stairs, led to the garden behind the house.

Though, very much like their home, the garden was very… modest. The couple could hardly take care of the flowers back there, to their frustration. Corrin could very easily acquire a far grander house, but didn't, out of modesty or simply because the best houses were located in cities. Camilla proposed the acquirement of some Hoshidian flowers, but Beruka refused.

The first floor had their bedroom, and some more rooms for the guests. Corrin was in the process of trying to make a "very special" place in the house for the baby, but found himself struggling with the task, though he denied any help. The rest of the rooms were mostly toilets and the likes, with nothing special.

The assassin sat down in the living room and awaited her husband, observing him as he sat down.

"Yes, this seems likely."

"She's going back home apparently too, I hope you're not minding it too much."

"Why would I ?"

"Well, you worked together, and you grew pretty close over the course of the war."

"Perhaps, but life has many paths. If we must separate, than it is useless for me to attempt to hold on to her. We have our ways, and we must take them."

"Yeah… you're right." He admitted. "You think Laslow and Odin…"

"They must be going home as well. All three were quite evasive about their origins, after all, and appeared at about the same time."

"I'm going to miss Odin. He was pretty fun, wasn't he ? I liked his… style."

"I found it utterly obnoxious."

Corrin deflated, and Beruka's eyes briefly widened.

"… But it was amusing at times, yes."

"Yeah !" he admitted, smiling cheekily. "I wish I could be more like him sometimes. I've always been a little, errr, in the background."

"You were on the frontlines often, and King Xander himself saw you as the leader of the group back then." She corrected him.

"You're right." He admitted. "But he's more charismatic than I am. If it were me, rising to the throne, I would've been unable to gather myself like he did."

Corrin was never one to really give himself credits. Beruka preferred such "modesty" over a gigantic ego, but at times, he was seemingly eager to put himself down at times, in a manner that disturbed even her.

And unfortunately, she was not that good at giving pep talks. Though luckily, she felt that she was better at handing those out to her husband. If, say, Niles ever had similar ego issues one day (impossible at it sound), she would probably be completely unable to assist him.

"Corrin. You've risen to tougher challenges. You would certainly be able to produce a better speech than King Xander, with all due respect to his majesty."

"Xander is not one to get upset over that, don't worry." He assured. "And beside, it's not like he could hear us, right ? It's not like he's going to… fly over to our house and arrest us over it."

He pointed to the window and made a sweeping gesture with his arm. Beruka smiled slightly in answer, in spite of herself.

…

She could've described the colour of the sky in great detail, and how the orange light bathed the world in its splendid light… but as usual, the sun was all but buried beneath a gigantic black cloud, making it impossible to see the night sky as anything else than a black, foggy mass.

And the sun would only shine upon a land of gnarled trees, hostile mountains and desolate roads. Nohr was much better off with the recent trades, but it was still less fertile than Hoshido by a lot. Beruka saw the other land with her own eyes, and could confirm it : the land is _brimming_ with life there. The grass was green and not struggling to pierce through the ground. The lakes were large, wildlife was abundant, the Hoshidians had to dedicate whole buildings to house food too.

This is probably the reason why many Nohrians went ahead to live in it after the war, with Hinoka expressing heavy reluctance but allowing it anyway. Beruka did not mind living in Nohr, though. She knew that Corrin would not want to go back to Hoshido, after all, and did feel a bit of pride about staying in her homeland. Beside, living in the other country would lead to attacks by vengeful, disgruntled soldiers, and the officials would probably be willing to look the other way.

Beruka went back inside, and leaned on the doorway, observing Corrin as he cooked. He seemingly did go ahead and buy some food for them, being in the process of making some meat stew. She was aware that the average Nohrian family dynamic would see her in the kitchen, but her husband was more likely to sulk when left to his own devices, and cooking always provided him with a distraction.

He took it up during the war, often stepping in whenever Keaton offered to make a meal. The prince was a surprisingly good cook, to the surprise of all but his siblings and butlers. Beruka herself was decent, but a bit too generous with the salt according to some people, so she was content with letting him handle things, and merely helped to put the plates and cutlery on the table.

"Errr, there are some legumes in there, and… pork meat." Said Corrin, to attempt to break the silence. "It's good for pregnant women apparently."

"How mindful of you." She answered, sitting down. "How was your day ?"

"Not much." He said. "I tried to take care of the flowers but..."

"Do not worry. I failed too."

"It's hard to really grow them on this soil apparently."

"Indeed." She said, finding the lack of topic awkward. "I polished my weapons."

"You're not taking any contracts, right ?" he said, his eyes widening in surprise. It took some convincing, but Beruka was able to still get some targets, from time to time, though she only ever went against "evil people". Of course, such people were complicated to find, even in Nohr. Garon was but a puppet, and people like Hans and Iago were part of a (thankfully) rare breed of sociopath, for the world was greyer than her husband envisioned.

However, her pregnancy forced her to temporarily retire for now, and she refused to leave Corrin alone. She wasn't fearful of Corrin attempting to perform any harm on himself, but she knew that he cared about her, and would be worried sick about her, which would add even more stress to his day.

"No. But I do not want them to rust, and tending to weapons is easier than tending to flowers."

"That's… good." He said. "Sorry, I know that I can't be too invasive."

"Your concern is understandable." She admitted. Corrin looked down on the meal and smiled, preparing to bring the cooking pot over to the table.

"Anyway. Let's just sit down and eat. I put some more effort, so this meal is going to be something to die…"

He froze mid-sentence, and Beruka nearly leapt off her chair, grabbing it in his stead while he stood there. In his defence, he was quick to shake that one episode off, his eyes soon re-focusing back on her, in clear horror at what happened. For her part, the (technical) princess put the cooking pot down on the table and helped Corrin sit down, putting her hands on his arm and helping him.

"Sorry, I…. I said without meaning to."

"It happens." She said. Yes. It happened, over a meal. Years of shutting down her emotions did little wonders for her social abilities, but at least, she was able to hide her fear, confusion and panic behind a façade of nonchalance. Anger, too, for not properly supporting him.

More than anything, the former assassin wanted to support him. Ask him to open up. Get him to spill everything out. But yet, she found herself… unable to, as if she feared that doing so would break him. This was nonsensical for the blue-haired woman, who, at a tender age, had more blood on her hands than the average soldier, but this was a different situation for her.

They would need to talk about it tonight.

"… Let's just enjoy our meal."

Beruka silently agreed, and they both sat down and began to eat. At least, the food was really good, to the point where he only had another serving and pretty much handed the rest over to her.

The baby seemed to approve.

….

Beruka found herself back in the Hoshidian castle, hiding behind a stone wall, axe in hand. The other hand was currently wrapped around a dead soldier's neck, though she was quick to let go of the body as it started to dissolve into nothing.

"DIE !"

Something break, akin to a thunderclap, and a gigantic yellow projectile goes off, tearing through any obstacle on its way. Possessed generals, for all their mighty defences, were effortlessly split in two. The stone walls were constantly getting demolished. Any manner of magical defence raised beforehand was useless, being reduced to dust within seconds.

The purple arrow's short yet destructive journey comes at an end when it pierces through the castle's wall and flies off into the horizon. A dark mages rise from behind cover, tome raised, thinking that he could exploit the archer's fire rate to his advantage.

"NO !" yells his companion, a Paladin deprived of his horse. But alas, he's too late : The _second_ archer let loose a mighty arrow and promptly kill the mage with a clean headshot.

Takumi's reflection began to materialize a new arrow, while the "real" one raised yet another hellish projectile, firing it yet again. The corrupted prince was moving around incoherently, moving with the grace of a puppet tied to strings, but yet, the sheer power and speed of his arrows were enough to stalemate the Nohrian army !

The presence of corrupted soldiers made the whole thing much harder. Only Xander and Camilla were capable of vaguely keeping up with the possessed prince, pushing him back and buying time for their soldiers to recover.

"Beruka !" warns Niles, from another cover. The situation was bad enough to get the rogue to drop his usual smarmy manners. "You have to let go !"

Beruka turned around, staring at a dead Corrin, slumped over next to her. He had a giant hole on his side, and her eyes were glazed over, but yet, she kept excepting him to rise and summon a new aspect of Yato's power. She knew, in her heart, that he was not dead.

"Beru-"

The thunderclap resumes again, and Niles is outright pulverized along with the cover he was using, with the assassin facing nothing but debris and smoke in his stead… but, much more eerily, she also found herself facing the Hoshidian prince.

In life, Takumi was never an agreeable sight, especially because of how effective he was against her. But the prince, in spite of his suicide weeks ago, was back on his feet.

But he was not alive. She could tell it from the way he stood, or the tears in his clothing, or the liquid oozing out of his wounds, akin to water of some sort. A violent purple aura surrounded him, and his eyes bore into hers. They were all white, but she was just close enough to perceive two thin, tiny purple pupils, flaring with hatred.

He screamed, in a mix of agony and pure anger, and prepared an arrow…

And Beruka woke up.

The assassin quietly opened her eyes, finding herself at home once more, breathing at heavier pace than she wanted to admit. Instinctively, she looked to her right and briefly looked surprised when red eyes stared back at her, revealing the Nohrian prince, wrapped in the bed cover, in a manner akin to a caterpillar.

"You were having a nightmare, so I thought to wake you…"

"… What are you doing ?"

Corrin stared at her, then at the cover, then back at her and sighed.

"Sorry, it's… cold. Yeah."

"It is." She admitted, looking down at the heavy blue dress she was using at nightwear. "I require more cover, husband."

"Yeah, but…"

She knew that she needed no convincing : Corrin sighed, and unfurled the cover, handing part of it over to her. Instead of going back to sleep, however, she stared at him (but not before putting the cover on her for warmth).

"Is there anything I could…"

"You were having a nightmare too, right ?" she said, trying not to point out that he was wearing part of his armor. One problem at a time.

"No, I was just…"

She stared once more, and he sighed.

"Yeah…"

"I see…"

Corrin always had trouble sleeping. During the war, it was out of stress, and because of the looming threats of assassins. After the war, it was because of the nightmares and his general anxiety. It wasn't rare for her to wake up and find him either doing something already or barely asleep.

She sighed and sat up, crossing her leg and staring at him.

"We need to talk about it."

"My nightmares ?"

"The source of it. Your anxiety. What is currently troubling you."

He sighed and also sat up. Had she been told, one year ago, that she'd share a bed with the mysterious young prince of Nohr and invite him to, openly, talk about what was troubling him, she would've probably dismissed it as some kind of prank.

And yet, here she was.

"I… I really can't, there so much…"

"I have time."

"Well there's… everything. From… from the very start, when I joined Nohr, to the end of the war. I mean…"

He inspired, and she dared to pat him in the back. She had to get him to open up.

"There's… all the deaths. Be it the enemy soldiers or ours. I… I know that it's war, but all those people are their dreams and hopes, and I just… squashed them."

She nodded.

"The Rainbow Sage dying by my hands, too… then Takumi's attack. But Hans's slaughter at Cheve was the worst ! I could have stopped it but I was too weak ! I couldn't stand up to Hans physically, and my authority as a prince led to nothing ! Just… him and Iago, they were the worst. So many massacres on their part, on my watch, and I did nothing !"

"You would've been killed by Garon."

"Then so be it. My life isn't worth an entire village."

"… Please continue."

"There's my stupid plan to kill Garon too. Let him sit down on the throne ? And slaughter his way through Hoshido ? What kind of tactic was that ?" he asked, his frustration growing with each word.

"That was her decision."

The singer's name was forbidden under this roof, if only because her vanishing haunted Corrin the most. He could understand the death of Lilith, or his companions, or even his enemies, but Azura's mysterious vanishing gave Corrin hope, in a way. Hope that Azura would come back. At this point, everyone but him figured that she was dead, but he was still willing to entertain that one hope.

But deep down, he knew too.

"No, Az... She was, errr, we were in a difficult situation, but still, I should've tried to fight Garon or even try a coup… it would've failed but…"

"No one would've been able to stand up to him if you chose to plot a coup. The plan was not a bright one." She had to admit to him. "But you had no other options. And it was not your initial plan, right ?"

"Y-yeah…"

"He tricked you and forced you to march into war." She said, getting closer between each sentence. "You were in a situation where you had little option, and took one that would work, desperate as it was."

She wrapped her arms around his wait and torso and pulled him close. Such displays of affection were, once more, uncommon from her, but she aspired to help him. At least, perhaps he'd realize that she was serious.

"Lilith died…"

"She sacrificed herself so you could live on." She said, attempting not to sound cheesy. Beruka would not speak like this if she could, but she was trying to pull him out of his funk, after all.

Corrin resumed.

"I don't think Sakura's managed to recover from what she saw in the fort but… Ryoma." He said. "He was in the right."

She half-agreed. The prince was quite willing to let the young Nohrian princess, Elise, die after all. She could at least approve his ruthlessness, though she disliked how the Hoshidian prince tried to act with "honor" when he was willing to adopt such tactics. At least she was upfront on her intentions in the end.

"Well, not always." He admitted. "But in the end, he died to protect his people and… me. After all the pain I caused to Hoshido, he still tried to look out for me…"

He did not mention the death of Hans and Iago, nor their soldiers. He did seems to have his mind set on that one matter at least.

"Garon died and then… Takumi;"

Instinctively, he tried to put his hands on his stomach, where he was shot, but she grabbed his hand and kept it in her hand.

"I know."

"In the end… I think it wasn't him. It was something else. But… but in the end, I did tear the country apart, so…"

"Takumi was nothing but a shell of himself, Corrin. He scares me too, but he's dead for good. You defeated the evil that took control of him. You are worthy of the sword of legend."

She cupped her hand on his cheek and awaited a little, noticing that he was slightly calming down.

"We are going to visit your family soon." She said. "They may cure you of your problem, or find someone who can."

"We'd need to get back to the capital…"

"Indeed."

"But wouldn't that bother you ?"

"It won't, do not worry."

She began to lay down on the bed, still holding him, and kept him close, observing the ceiling.

"You are well worth any trouble that I might have in the capital, Corrin. You provided me with aid, and I shall now do the same to you." she said, trying to put in as much energy as she could in her voice.

He stared at her a little, and his lips briefly quivered. Briefly, she thought that she made him sad, somehow, but he eventually pulled through and smiled wirily.

"I don't want to bother you…"

"You only ever do when you refuse my help."

He sighed and eventually closed his eyes.

"Alright, I'll send a message to Xander, and we'll see if they have anything to help us… but still, wouldn't it be bothering them ?"

"Lady Camilla and the others were willing to disobey Garon to help you. They may be busy, but they will certainly make time for you. Please, rest, and stop thinking that you are bothering anyone."

He nodded, and closed his eyes, eventually going to sleep. Beruka briefly thought about the situation, and how he still seemed… unwell in his sleep, sometimes stirring or twitching. The idea that her husband was facing adversity, and that all of her efforts were for naught, terrified and frustrated her at the same time.

But in the end, they'll pull through, right ?

She went to sleep, but saw the need to repeat that over and over in her head beforehand. They'll pull through.


	3. Of pigeons and letters

The flowers' struggle for survival was a thing of beauty. Multiple times, Beruka found herself actually a little interested in the plant and their effort to push through and emerge out of the harsh Nohrian soil.

Their battle for the surface was but a prelude for another one, however : The acquisition of precious, precious sunlight, all but lost in some parts of the country. The way some of the Nohrian florae adapted to the challenge was pretty puzzling for foreign visitors, but the people of the "violent country" were proud of the bizarre shape of the vegetation.

It represented them. The vegetation of Nohr adapted to the bizarre landscape of the country and stood its ground, like how they were hardened by a life within the land that "the sun itself was scared of".

"We should make it formal." Said Corrin.

"You are the King's adopted brother, Corrin, and you have earned Xander's respect."

"Yes but... it feels disrespectful, you know ? Xander worked hard for his position, we can't exactly treat him like an old buddy."

"You are more than that. You are his fellow warrior. A Nohrian hero. And his… "little prince"." Said Beruka, closing her eyes at the last sentence. He smiled briefly at it, but she kept her cool.

The goal of the "mission" was to raise Corrin's self-esteem, and helping him realize his worth was part of that. Yes, he probably shouldn't be too familiar with the king in public, but it wasn't hard to see that the entire royal family loved him dearly. If she could realize it, then surely Corrin would also be able to make sense of it.

For all his talent and kindness, he was pretty bad at noticing social clues or picking up on manipulations. Azura, his siblings and Beruka herself took care of it during the war, and he got better at it, but even now, he had trouble figuring out when someone wanted something out of him, for an instance.

Right now, the couple was standing in the living room, attempting to write a letter. Her husband was unsure on how to really write the letter, and the assassin lacked the soul of a writer, being used to small, curt messages instead of the drawn out quasi-poems that were excepted out of two members of the royal family.

"To the King of Nohr, and dear brother… We would like to inform you that our life has taken a dark path."

"No, this sound dangerous. The King must not think that we are in peril."

"Yeah. A bit too Odin. Erm, To the King of Nohr, and dear brother… Everything is going well, but I am finding myself in an awkward spot in relation to my mental health."

He turned around and stared up at Beruka, almost hopeful. She tilted her head to the side and folded her arms.

"Perhaps… I am finding myself in a position where I may need your assistance. Though I assure you that my life is not in danger."

"Good one ! Thank you Beruka !"

"I could write the rest for you." Offered Beruka. "If you do not want to talk about it…"

"No need, I'm fine." He said, writing down on the paper. Beruka observed his handwriting, attempting to see if it'd waver or change. Luckily enough, it didn't, even at the part where he was asking for help. She contemplated putting her hand on his, but thought that it might surprise him and refrained from doing so.

"How m-much should I describe ?" declared Corrin, attempting to brush over his little stutter.

"They will understand." She answered. "No need to go into descriptions."

Sending a letter was perhaps a bit too "much", but the duo needed to prepare a little for the trip to the capital (as short as the road was), and it was polite to warn the King instead of bursting in. And it could be a way to test the water and see if the ruler of Nohr was available to help or would be too busy.

Corrin wrote a short little explanation, detailing his problems without going into too much detail. He did quiver at times, but managed to at least finish the letter, carefully putting it in the envelope. The prince got up and stood there for a few seconds, attempting to say something.

"I'll go to the pigeon post."

"Let's go together." She said. Beruka knew that he was going to bring the letter, just like how she knew that he was going to go to the lake. And she felt that such an activity was having a negative effect on his psyche.

"You don't need to bother…"

"I will always bother, if it's for you." She said. He stood there in silence and, to her surprise, his lips quivered once more. In a flash, her husband dropped his letter and embraced her, to her surprise. After realizing that he was engaging in a "hug", she raised her arms and wrapped them around his back.

They spent about a minute like this before he backed off and bent down, grabbing the envelope and smiling briefly.

"I'm… sorry. I was just a bit glad."

"I do not blame you. It was… agreeable." She admitted, still reeling herself. This is probably why she was fond of the young man : unlike most of her associates, he was very straightforward (issues about his war experiences aside) and sweet, whereas most Nohrians tended to be… edgier. It was not her primary reasons, for falling in love with a man because of his niceness is a shallow thing, but at the very least, it was a quality that he had.

"So, let's go the pigeon post." He said, after a few more moments of hesitation.

"Yes."

…

The trip to the pigeon post would've been a far easier one had Beruka kept her wyvern, or Corrin his horse… but unfortunately enough, taking care of such animals was complicated enough and they were both looking for a house to settle in quickly. Thus, they left them to other caretakers.

The couple was walking down the path leading to their home, and experiencing the schizophrenic vegetation of Nohr. One side of the paved roads led to a forest of twisted trees, somewhat similar to the Woods of Forlorn, but far less dangerous. The other side was mostly barren, with the grass barely managing to fight its way out of the soil.

The sky in front of them was dark, as always, causing the walk to be a rather depressive one. Beruka didn't mind, but Corrin did, judging by the way he stared at either the forest or the near-wasteland and sighed or shook his head.

"My love." Said Beruka, heroically trying not to sound awkward. She was still getting used to the whole "nickname" side of love.

"Yes ?"

"Allow me to ask : Are you not confortable with the Nohrian countryside ?"

"Hm…"

She stared at him, hoping that he would not try to lie to make her feel better. Luckily, he seemed to realize this.

"Yeah, a bit. It's really… oppressive ?"

"Define, please."

He looked around, hoping to avoid offending any nearby Nohrian, and then spoke up.

"Well, it's… a country that suffered, right ?"

"Correct. Before the birth of King Garon, Nohr was invaded by a country beyond the sea." Said Beruka. "They were pushed back by a coalition but poisoned the land as a revenge. It is recovering even to this day."

"It must have been a terrible war, if the land itself is still scarred after all those years. Do you think that.."

Beruka wrapped her arm around is and tugged a little, though she cursed herself for her lack of hindsight.

"Right… anyway, yeah, I… I wanted to just enjoy peace and quiet, but with the baby coming…"

It was Beruka's time to briefly waver in her walk, to Corrin's immediate surprise. To his credit though, he did not panic immediately, stopping short and attempting to prevent any fall. Luckily enough, however, her little shock was merely surprise, and thus, there was no need for him to catch her.

"Beruka, are you alright ?"

"Yes." She said. "Worry not, I was merely…surprised."

Earlier on, she had admitted to Selena that she felt tension over the baby. It was a lie.

She was terrified.

Beruka, at her core, did not consider herself to be a good person. She accepted what she did, and what she was about to do, but she knew better than to delude herself. The former retainer was a killer, and while she certainly improved in terms of capacity for affection, she still had access to her deadly skills, and had the willingness to use them in the future, be it for money or to protect her family.

But those skills made her unsuitable for raising a child. How could she teach them to care about life when she never truly had any respect for it ? How would she guide them down a respectable path when she took a pretty dark one herself ?

Corrin had done mistakes, too. Many considered him a kinslayer, and his decisions were forever going to haunt him. But at least, at his core, he was a good person. She was not, and she was afraid that this would impact the prince(ss)'s growth, and potentially turn them into another one of her.

But somehow, she never truly confronted Corrin about the idea. Part of her felt like it was just more stress for him, and another felt that her anxiety was natural for a future mother, and that she would rise above the challenge in the end. But in the end, she knew that those were mere reassurance.

"A bit too late to be surprised about the child." He said.

"I am aware. I am merely… thinking that it would perhaps be wise to leave within the next months then. Travelling through the continent with an infant will be harduous, after all."

"We could always just go live in the capital. It's much safer, and we could keep an eye on the child… well, I know you don't like it very much though, so…"

Windmire has been, according to reports, a much safer place since the ascent of King Xander, but she knew the city better than Corrin did, and was not too sure on living within it.

"… Perhaps we should ponder about it later. Behold." She said, pointing to the pigeon post. A small shack, barely clean enough to function, but not visited enough to get cleaned up often by the owner. No one else was there, allowing the couple to easily enter the place.

The clerk in place had long, brown curly hair and wasn't even wearing his uniform, being content with wearing a red vest, a white shirt and a black pair of pants. Upon noticing the newcomers, he actually briefly widened his eyes in surprise and then frowned in annoyance.

"Hello. Where would you like your letter to be sent ?"

"To Windmire. I wish to send this to the king."

"Right, riiiigghtt, the king will read this. Hand it over."

Beruka observed the post and frowned, refraining herself from touching anything, out of fear that doing so would reduce the place to dust. She was probably exaggerating, but for one such as her, this place was nothing short of an utter wreck.

Corrin, meanwhile, was all too eager to hand over the letter, seemingly not minding the shack. Then again, her husband would compliment the place even if it was burning around them, to avoid offending the clerk. Said clerk took the letter, looked at the royal seal, looked at Corrin and nearly fell out of his chair, though Beruka dove to grab the letter in time.

"You ! You ! Lord Corrin ! I'm… I'm so sorry ! We don't get too many visitors !" he said, as Corrin chose to help him up. His wife, however, merely looked over at the man, glaring daggers at him. His display of incompetence made her sick, but she simply handed him the letter over.

"_Pathetic._" she thought.

"It's alright. You can call me Corrin, and this is my wife, Beruka."

"Hello."

"I'm sorry, Lo… Corrin ! I will not be an obstacle to your encounter with the king !" he said, dashing to the back of the shack without taking the money. The young prince laughed in answer, but Beruka rolled her eyes.

After a little while, the man came back, with a feather stuck in his hair.

"I sent the pigeon, it… it should come back soon enough, I'll bring you the letter once its done !"

"Don't worry, you're amongst friends here."

"Hm. Yes. Let us depart, Corrin." She said. Her husband did turn around but before leaving, he turned around and pointed.

"What's your name ?"

"Sebastian, sir !"

"Nice to meet you, Sebastian !"

…

"He was pretty funny, don't you think ?"

"And disrespectful. He only relented when he noticed your status as a noble."

"Yeah… it's too bad he was scared though. I'm not an especially intimidating guy, right ?"

"I am." She answered.

"Anyway, now that's done… we should pack up some of our stuff."

"Such as ? The castle will have everything that we'll need."

"Of course, but… Yato, for instance. It's not really something you leave behind."

She smiled a little when he mentioned Yato, a sword that he's come to associate with the war. It did not awake painful memories like anything else, but the prince was content with putting it away in a room, on a small pedestal. The leader from the wind tribe would surely scoff at the idea of the sword of legend receiving such treatment, and Beruka herself would prefer it to be more present.

Not out of any interest in the weapon itself, but because it was tied to Corrin's worth. It showed him that he was the hero of the dark, who persevered despite the setbacks and pain he faced. She was sure that, if he were to even lay his hands on it once more, than he'd find that his worth did not diminish.

And the fact that he specifically mentioned it showed that such a scenario was imminent.

Otherwise, she struggled to find anything to bring.

"A few gifts maybe ?"

"Right."

"And… well, it's just nice to see them all again."

"That is the plan."

"Especially Camilla. You must have a lot of stuff to say to each other, right ?"

"Less than you would think. I shall say hello. She shall reply with an enthusiastic reply. We will exchange "pleasantries." Then we shall separate. Simple."

"But you were her retainer for years, right ?" he asked. "The others are quite close to their own retainers too and Camilla is…"

"Affective ?"

"A bit too much. I… I mean, I get that she's always eager to… hug but we were kids back then. I'm a grown man now, it's… pretty embarrassing."

"Yes. But in her mind, you are still a child."

Corrin scratched the back of his head, perhaps hoping to drop the subject.

"You think that Camilla is going to fly over there as soon as she reads that letter ?"

"Certainly. You must remember how… she… flew to us seconds after learning about our wedding."

She was about to mention the war at the port, and how quickly Camilla manipulated things to get to the port, but it was still a touchy subject.

"She got so impatient, she jumped off her wyvern when it was still a few meters off the ground !"

"She would've squashed Arthur." Added Beruka. He smiled, but she didn't. Not out of worry for Arthur (who dodged at the last moment), but because the wedding was made out to be a quiet affaire, and Camilla single-handedly made a huge party out of it.

Not that she was holding a grudge over it, or found the princess annoying, but at times, she could be… overwhelming.

"I think that we should sleep early tonight. We'll get up early in the morning to prepare ourselves and get his letter."

"A wise decision. But beforehand, I'd require food."

"I'll get to to !" said Corrin, as they reached the house. "Don't worry, erm… darling." He said. "It'll all be fine."

She thought of the baby. Of Corrin's ever-looming trauma. Of their new home. Of their visit to the royal palace, bound to be rather quirky.

"… Yes."


	4. Of fancy clothes and pastry

The flowers, alas, managed to overcome their first enemy, prodding out of the ground and taking on a twisted shape. The reward for their struggle was a short dose of sunrays, and some water, courtesy of their owner.

Those times were as merciful as they were short, however, for soon, the clouds overtook the sun once more, announcing that the fight for survival was about to begin once more.

...

The streets of Windmire were silent once more. The buildings's windows were alight, but only one person was present, running desperately and clutching a wound on his shoulder.

Upon arriving at a building, the man slammed himself against the door, wincing and spraying more blood before attempting to open it.

"Let me in ! Please !" he said, though his cry for help fell in deaf ears. Realizing that he was not going to get in, he promptly turned around and froze, when he noticed that a woman was right in front of her.

Her lower face had a black mask covering it up, but he could see her red eyes, filled with malice. Her blue hair was cut in a short, asymmetrical manner, though it had one big bang close to her left eye. The woman had a black long-sleeved turtleneck shirt (with said turtleneck apparently being part of the mask), and a grey gi, with a red belt, black pants and black boots. Her skin was unnaturally pale, and pointy ears were visible, peeking through her bob.

Cornered, the man attempted to swing his fist at her, but the woman easily ducked beneath it and swiftly struck on her own, hitting him in the stomach with a punch and sending him flying through the door and into the entrance hall of the building. Miraculously enough, such force did not kill the man, though he was essentially defeated, laying on his back and whimpering amongst the shattered remains of the door.

The assassin then immediately leaped in the air, spun around a little, and landed foot-first on his face, crushing neck and head in a swift, lethal manner, shattering his skull and the ground below. She stood for a moment, and then looked up, noticing that her little deadly acrobatic act had a public.

A lethally curious family stood in the stairs of the building, observing the scene in horror. The blue-haired woman smiled in answer, with the outline of her mouth behind her mask forming a ghastly smile, and raised her hand, promptly transforming it into a draconic spear of some sort.

"I'm going to enjoy this."

She leapt forward, swung… and Beruka woke up, finding herself back in the bedroom, eyes opened in shock. After a little while, she allowed herself to rise, attempting to mask her fright. Luckily enough, Corrin was still fast asleep at her side, as indicated by his snoring.

She sighed. At the very least, he had a nice night.

Beruka was not one to have peaceful nights herself, though she accepted long ago that such was the price of a like like hers. Most of the time, though, they were of a more surreal nature, involving legions of the undead dragging her down for what she did. Her last nightmare, however, was much more coherent, and did not actually feature her.

She recognized the blue hair, though, and her sudden transformation near the end. She knew that it was her child, having taken a life similar to her mother's.

This is why this particular dream unsettled her in a manner that even the previous one failed to accomplish. In the end, the earlier nightmare was nothing but a dark creation of her mind. The Hoshidian prince was gone for real, the dark force possessing him had been defeated, and he ultimately failed to bring down the army, even if he left his mark on the fighters. Takumi was a thing of the past.

But her child was very much a thing of the future, and may very well walk down her path somewhere.

Looking to distract herself, Beruka peeked through the windows, barely pulling aside the curtains. One with less experience of Nohr would perhaps think "it's still night", but she recognized the sun rays barely peeking through the upward fog, and concluded that it was early in the morning. She should wake Corrin up, perhaps, but since he was actually sleeping, she thought of leaving him alone for a few more minutes.

Beruka got dressed and walked down the stairs. There wasn't much to pack up, and she did not feel like cooking. Out of habit, the assassin walked to the living room and grabbed her book about weapons, hoping to learn something, though she was sure that there wasn't much for her to discover about weapons.

Pregnancy, a year of peace and her current read, however, could not prevent Beruka from instinctively grabbing the hidden dagger on the couch as soon as she heard knocking on the door. She relaxed slightly, but then kept her hand on the weapon as she swiftly moved over to the door, partly hiding the blade in her sleeve through a little sleight of hand.

Upon reaching the door, Beruka only opened a small part of it, and kept her away from it, fearing that a blade may pass through the small gap as soon as it appeared.

"Errr, Lady Beruka, it's the letter for the pigeon ! From the King himself !"

She recognized the voice, but opened the door only slightly, quickly passing the blade from one hand to another.

"But…"

"The letter."

"Yes, but the door is…"

"Wide enough for the letter to pass through."

"Alright."

She got the envelope, and quickly took it away. Then, she bothered to grab some money on a nearby shelf, left by Corrin to pay the young man (he realized that they forgot to pay only after getting back home) and handed it over though the gap. He smiled a little.

"Thank you ! If you need to write back, well, you know where to go !"

"Yes. This is also where you're going back to now. Goodbye."

Beruka slammed the door shut and observed his departure through the keyhole, before promptly walking up the stairs, reaching the bedroom. Corrin was still sleeping peacefully, but alas, he had to get up. For all she knew, a carriage was well on its way to the house.

The blue-haired young woman crouched and quietly nudged her husband. It took him about two nudges to open up one eye.

"Gunter… we're surrounded by patty cakes… how will we fight our way through ?"

She did not react outwardly, but she did smiles. He seemed to be doing well ever since he sent that letter.

"Oh… Beruka, sorry. I was… having a dream."

"Worry not." Declared the assassin. "You may not engage in warfare with the pastry yet, however. The letter has been received. And answered."

"Oh ! Right ! The letter !" he said, getting up and nearly tossing the cover off him, though thankfully, he had some black pants below the armour. "Sorry ! I should've answered it !"

"Apology accepted."

"Did Sebastian hand it over ?"

"Yes."

"Was he paid ? I felt bad about not giving him the money. We… we're not nobles who lord over the others."

"The money is in his pocket. Or in a bandit's."

He sighed and cut the envelope, doing a partial transformation of his nail for that purpose. He then pulled the letter out and sat down, reading it. She proceeded to look over his shoulder. King Xander's handwriting was perfect, as always, and his reply was shorter than she excepted.

"Hm… gladly… we are family… one year anniversary…" said Corrin, out-loud. "O-oh, he accepted !"

"Were you afraid he would not ?"

"A little. He must be busy with his reign !"

"The siblings shall always make time for you. And beside, it has been nearly a year since the end of the war. Perhaps King Xander wanted to invite you to the castle."

He nodded and got up, stretching his arms and yawning.

"We should put up some "noble" clothes, right ?" he said. "Leo's going to have our heads if we're not dressed appropriately." Described Corrin, smiling.

Beruka raised one eyebrow and stepped aside. So far, the plan was working, going by Corrin's peaceful sleep and behaviour. This pleased her, though she did not hope yet, afraid that this was naught but a façade. Corrin was a poor liar by her standards, but he was quite good at picking up on things. And spending so much time with Beruka probably gave him some access to her unbeatable poker face.

"Yes." Agreed Beruka, aware of the etiquette expected of nobles. She did belong to this category, something which bothered her, since she felt that she'd have an harder time going on missions in the future, unless she started wearing a mask. Beruka still kept away from the public eye, just in case.

Her fashion sensibilities were never really developed, mostly because she favoured functionality over appearance. She was, however, above simply grabbing whatever was at hand, and it took her a little time to actually pick up the correct ensemble. She then went to a different room. Yes, it was odd for her to walk into a different room when the couple went past a certain threshold long ago, but he was always reluctant to being seen without a shirt (or pants, of course).

The reason ? The reason was…

Was…

Beruka lost her train of thoughts and tilted her head. Corrin was wearing a black, long sleeved shirt, with a purple coat of a sort. Said coat had golden buttons, and a large black collar, in the shape of a triangle, large enough for the young man to rest the back of his head on it. His pants were not as extravagant, but he made it up wearing some fairly noticeable red shoes.

Beruka herself was not better. She wore white high-heels (which she found hard to move around with), a long purple dress with long sleeves and a black coat with fur on it, with her tiny head resting amongst said fur, practically glowering.

"Oh dear." Started Corrin.

"My love."

"Yes ?"

"Please, kill me." Said Beruka, in "jest". Corrin laughed in answer and approached, pulling on his collar.

"We can still change." Answered the prince, looking over at the closet.

"No. It is fine. I abhor such clothing but alas, I'll be able to hide my face." She said. Once more, she'd wear a mask if she could, but feared that this would led to a prompt unmasking from the siblings, and such disguise would attract more attention anyway.

"They're going to send a carriage. I mean, in the letter, he said that it'd be near the second appearance of the sun in the day."

"A few hours away. Then, allow me to take this off for the time left."

"You don't need me to allow it." He said. "I'm going to prepare the house and fetch Yato."

…

Beruka quickly changed, and touched her neck a little (the fur was pretty irritating after all) before stepping out of the room. Her husband didn't need to do much : he accessed a chest inside of their bedroom, and opened it, taking part of the money. That way, if a thief managed to get inside, they would not find themselves penniless.

Yes, they could just ask for money, but Corrin would see it as being a load to his family. He did not take all of it out of paranoia that he'd lose it, but didn't care much for any bandit attacks. They were rare around the region since the end of the war, and no amount of bandits could keep up with his speed and power anyway. Then, he locked the windows and some doors.

The last one, however, he stood in front of it for a moment before entering, with Beruka quietly sneaking up on him to observe. The room was mostly barren, being white and inhabited by only one pedestal, itself occupied by Yato. A year with little-to-no use did no wonders to the sword of legends, and it laid there, gathering dust, reduced to its earliest form once more.

She could even see cracks running over it, and for a moment or two, Corrin hesitated before advancing forward. His fists were trembling and his breathing was going quicker, but Beruka did not intervene yet, awaiting. He did briefly look at her, but she only got a bit closer, letting him do accomplish his task alone but making her presence clear so as to reassure him.

He turned around, inspired, leaned forward and grabbed the sword. And, in the span of one second, the couple was forced to shield their eyes away from a flash of purple light, though Corrin seemingly recovered quicker, quickly glancing down upon the sword of legends.

And it stood, complete, having recovered its form in an instant. The cracks from earlier were gone, and the Shadow Yato was proudly held by Corrin, to his amazement. He swung it at the air a few times and then sheathed it promptly, before running over to Beruka to grab her hands.

"Did you see that ? It's still working !"

"Indeed !" admitted Beruka, unable (and unwilling) to hide her joy for him. "You are worthy of the title. Like how you were back then. And like how you will always be."

It was confusing. She was glad, but also felt like punching herself in the face over her comment. She could just hope that Corrin would not repeat it to the other royals.

"I was always afraid of doing it because I spent so long trying to hide but… it's a good boost to my confidence before we leave for the castle, don't you think ?"

"I do." Said Beruka. "You're doing much better, Corrin. I'm glad."

She smiled, and he responded in kind, though they soon both stepped out of the room, confident and ready to take on the world outside ! The carriage could come anytime now, but the duo was ready !

Of course, though, the carriage was still good hours away, so the duo eventually slowly lowered their arms.

"What now ?" asked Corrin. Beruka shrugged.

…

The carriage was pretty large and boasted the usual Nohrian color scheme of "just black". Some gold lines ran over its surface though, and the curtains behind the window were red. The driver, whom she did not recognize, turned around to greet the duo and blinked briefly when he noticed their clothing.

She did change her clothes, but barely. The fur was just a bit lower, and covered less of her face as a result. The older man shrugged after a while though, and stepped off, before bowing.

"Greetings, Lord Corrin, Lady Beruka."

The "Lady" nearly winced, whereas Corrin waved back.

"Greetings to you ! Thank you for coming all this way for us !"

"Anything for those of your stature." Replied the man, politely. The blue-haired prince nodded and allowed his wife to enter, closing the door behind her. He made sure to lock everything beforehand, and had Beruka hide or take her weapons, "just in case".

The interior of the carriage was confortable, though Beruka did not care much for it, quickly pulling the curtains over the windows and then sitting next to Corrin.

"I wonder how the others are doing…"

"Well, I would presume. If anything were to happen, the people would be aware of it."

"You're right ! Hm... then, what about the retainers ?"

She thought of them. She did get to "bond" with a few of them, but they were still obnoxious strangers to her, with the exception of some like Niles or Arthur (to Corrin's surprise) and obviously Selena.

"They're of little importance."

"We did fight with them through… the conflict." He said, briefly spacing out.

"Indeed."

"But, well, I… I understand why you'd feel that way, they're quirky…"

"Peri is a mass murderer."

Even he groaned at the mention of Peri, and it was seemingly enough to get him to back off a little. He allowed the carriage to go on for a little while before attempting to resume the topic.

"I don't want you to be friends with them all. I know that you wouldn't like it if I tried to just have you befriend everyone."

"Thank you."

"But… maybe have a small talk with… Effie ?"

"That oaf ?"

He tilted his head and made a disapproving gesture. Beruka sighed.

"Apologies, I… could perhaps communicate with Lady Camilla or your siblings."

"Yeah ! They are your in-laws now ! I'm sure you'd like Leo !"

"Like ? My personal feelings regarding the prince are of little matter. I either like him or pretend to."

Corrin winced but promptly retaliated.

"Well, maybe at least Camilla or Xander ?"

"Certainly. I'll attempt to do so." Said Beruka. She didn't care too much about... all the others. It was mostly herself, Corrin (who stood head and shoulders above the rest in her world), Camilla, Selena and the rest didn't matter. Perhaps her friends were below Selena as well, but to be honest, she truly, honestly only ever cared about him. Though perhaps her spawn shall stand at a similar place.

"Great !" he said, yawning. "I'm going to try to nap a little, if you don't mind."

"Do so. I shall remain awake to be on the look-out however."

He nodded and dozed off on her fur-covered shoulder, needing only a short while to go back to his pastry warfare with Gunter.

For her part, Beruka pondered about her own dream. She was distracting herself with the castle visit but she knew that the image of her daughter, clad in the guise of an assassin, would soon come back to haunt her thoughts as soon as a lull set in.

Should she inform Corrin ? No, he had too much to deal with. Perhaps… perhaps this was a test. Beruka was going to solve her issues alone and deal with her fear herself.

She defeated armies of Hoshidian, she could deal with her own mind, right ?


	5. Of princesses and frights

The flowers stood, twisting and angling themselves to catch the sunlight. The absence of Beruka proved to be a dramatic development, but alas, they were able to catch some rain, allowing them to live on.

They stood, but at least one was slightly lower than the other, when they were both standing tall beforehand.

…

Beruka did not fall asleep or even attempt to take a nap herself. She had been trained to be able to stay awake for long after all, and was a bit paranoid about the carriage being attacked by marauders, though thankfully enough, there was an escort of cavaliers watching from afar, since the King knew of the danger of the roads.

However, the cavaliers were not needed. Whatever bandits roamed the land wisely decided that attacking the fancy carriage would result in their horrible demises, and the trip was quiet, aside from Corrin's light snoring and tendency to thoroughly describe what he was doing in his dream.

She wondered how to best interact with the siblings. With the exception of Camilla, Beruka's interactions with them resumed to shaking hands, accomplishing their orders in the middle of battle or accepting their congratulations. She didn't really know how to best interact with them, and in spite of her promise to Corrin, the young woman was not excepting to truly form a bond with the prince and king.

At best, perhaps, she'd politely listen to them and would say what she needed to say. Yes. She was doing well. The baby was well. So was Corrin, etc.

Elise was… agreeable, but not Beruka's style. She had limited patience for cheery people. More than she had before, but the two women were quite different from one another, and Elise lacked the necessary strength to truly catch Beruka's attention. The young girl's use of magic was fearsome, but the assassin respected physical strength more. She didn't judge a person's worth by the size of their muscles, but she could respect one with the power to change things.

Camilla would at least be easy to talk to, at least.

As for the other retainers, perhaps she could communicate with Niles or Arthur. The rest, she could tolerate, bar Peri, whom she hoped was going to be a solid ten kilometres away at all time.

She never had any consideration for the younger woman. They were both in the business of killing, perhaps, but Beruka was a professional, and stuck to killing her targets instead of engaging in random bloodbaths. She had no hesitation about killing, but she knew that no one in their right mind would hire a psychotic assassin out of fear that they'd betray them, and said psychotic assassin might end up hunted.

Beside, if someone wanted to kill everyone in a given place, they could just hurl an army at it.

Peri, however, was mentally ill and lacked the grace and precision of the assassin, merely slaying whoever was close to her. Her raw skills were prodigious, but she lacked in discipline, making her unfit for any task other than brutal warfare.

Beruka is an assassin. Peri is a crazed swordswoman.

Anyway, at the very least, even Corrin had little patience for her. She was not as gone as Hans but she was still very much what popped up in the mind of foreigners when they thought "Nohrian", and he very much wanted to avoid that. According to him though, Xander wished to redeem the knight to show that anyone could change, something that Corrin lauded, but he did confess to her that he felt worried about the murderer potentially accessing an important position within the army.

Wishing to distract herself from her thoughts, Beruka peered out of the window a little, and discovered that the carriage has been advancing quickly, and she could see the lights of Windmire's buildings. It'd still take a little while to reach the castle, but it would be unfortunate for Corrin to be waking up as they were descending. Thus, she chose to nudge him once again.

He grunted and woke up, yawning and stretching his legs and arms forward before turning to face her, rubbing one of his eyes.

"Beruka ? We're at the castle ?"

"Soon." She said. "Apologies, but I judged that it'd be best to awaken you right now, so that you may be fully ready."

"Good decision." He said, stretching once more and observing Windmire from the window.

The people seemed more content, and were much more numerous now. Back in the "old days", Windmire was a silent city, and walking down its streets meant that you were either an outlaw or eager to encounter one. The "True Nohr" stood underground, though she didn't visit it much, and neither did Corrin since he was always busy and away from the city.

However, King Xander's first act as the new ruler of Nohr was to cut down on the criminality. He offered the outlaws to join the army (though they'd need to develop bonds with their fellow soldiers and would be heavily punished if they deserted or attempted to satisfy their urges) or drove them out. Luckily enough, a lot of them decided to join the army, perhaps because they'd get a pardon and also to earn some pay and get an actual home.

The rest, who were more similar to the late Hans (and with crimes perhaps too heavy to be overlooked), refused and fled the city or were smoked out by their former colleagues, since the criminals lacked the manpower, training or arsenal to fend off the soldiers.

The rest of the world looked in disapproval at the event but Nohr justified the recruitment : Nohr's army was damaged during the war, and they wished to show that criminals could be redeemed.

Corrin approved, of course. Beruka was more suspicious, seeing it as handing over weapons and training to common thugs, but Windmire seemed much safer than it was before, though she could still visualize some beggars or thieves amongst the crowd. The population seemed healthier, which she could understand, since Nohr and Hoshido had a trade going on, meaning that Nohr now had more food.

Of course, though, not everything was going well. Nohr was still seen as a brutal country, with an army of former brigands and Hoshido saw the trade as a half-hearted attempt at saying "sorry" while taking their food away. While the country's problems with its food supply was fixed for now, they still brought death to several countries, and she knew that the next generations would be screaming for revenge.

A new war would break out, and…

Beruka shook her head. It would be best to think positive for now, before her encounter with the royal siblings. Her smiles will be naught but a façade, but perhaps having happier thoughts will provide some reinforcement to her masquerade.

"They seems so much happier !"

"Indeed." She said. "A year ago, this many people would've been impossible."

"Xander did some fantastic work !" he said. Beruka herself was surprised at this development, though another idea came to mind.

"Perhaps he could've kept in touch with us beforehand." Muttered Beruka.

"What do you mean ? Oh, letters ?"

"Affirmative."

"Well… maybe he was busy ?"

"Of course, but perhaps he could've assigned a servant to send you a letter."

"Well… you're right." He said. Beruka frowned. She knew that something was wrong, all along, but wherever she brought it up, Corrin demonstrated some sudden unease, and Beruka was not willing to press on at the time, since she knew that he was in a complicated state of mind.

Still, now that he was doing better, she definitely was going to have a conversation with him. If he was lying, then she was going to ask him why. If they truly did not send in any letters, then she'd interrogate the royals, and may be a bit less… respectful than she thought she was going to be.

"We'll ask them if you want." He said.

"Very well. Though I except you do to it." Answered his wife. Corrin offered a quick nod and looked out of the window.

"We're about to arrive." He said, pulling on his collar a little, trying not to look nervous. She quickly noticed it though.

"Are you nervous ?"

"A bit, yes."

Beruka observed him a little and leaned forward, holding her hands up. Recognizing what Beruka was trying to get him to do, Corrin slowly began breathing in while she waited. Because of his lung capacity, it took him some time, but she waited patiently. After enough time, he began to hold his breath.

The royal assassin held up three fingers on each hand, then waited a second and closed her fists before raising only two fingers on each. She waited another second and did the same, but raised only one finger this time. And after this went down, he exhaled slowly, through pursed lips.

As a young girl, she used this to calm herself whenever she was about to engage in a challenging scenario. She dropped this after acquiring experience with her job, but she used it to ease Corrin at times. It was related to her job, but she figured that he wouldn't mind. The gesture itself was inoffensive, after all. He did once more and then raised his thumb silently, while she smiled, slightly.

She'd miss those moments. Beruka was not big on being affective in public, so they'd need to be in their room to do so.

The carriage stopped in front of the castle's entrance, which has a decent amount of soldiers gathered around. Beruka was the first to step out, accompanied by Corrin, who closed the door behind him and walked over to the driver to hand him some more gold. She then quietly grabbed his arm and walked side-by-side with him, under the soldiers's watchful gaze, and the civilian's confused ones.

The palace's layout was confusing, to be honest, and was as sinister as ever. However, she had to admit that it was much more well-lit, and some of the less subtle elements, such as the cages on the ceiling or spikes were removed. Corrin looked around nervously as they walked up the stairs.

After all, while it was there that he "celebrated", it was also there that he delivered the mission results and received new ones. Perhaps he was excepting to turn around and stumble upon the tall figure of Iago, who'd ask him what he was doing here in his usual grating voice. Or worse, maybe he'd open the throne room's gate and discover Garon on his throne, watching his "son" with his empty yet hateful gaze.

"SURPRISE !"

Fortunately for them, neither happened : Instead, a blonde girl leapt out of the corner, holding her arms out with a "fearsome" expression on her face, letting out a dreadful hiss at the couple.

Between the victory and now, the youngest princess decided to abandon her bizarre hair decorations, keeping her hair loose from now. Some part of it was still dyed purple though, and she had to get rid of part of it, since they were so long to begin with. Otherwise, her outfit wasn't too different, and neither was her attitude : she promptly approached Corrin and hugged him immediately !

Beruka quietly muttered under her breath while Corrin laughed.

"Elise ! Haha ! You surprised me !" he said, as she let go and winked, smirking and holding up her thumb. "I've been preparing this for months, how was it !"

"Very fearsome !" said her husband, putting his hand on his chest.

His wife was distinctively less impressed, but knew that it would be rude to dismiss the young girl. She nodded instead.

"You would make a fine spy." She lied. Elise giggled and stepped aside, putting her hands behind her back.

"Leo and Xander are about to finish their meeting but I just couldn't wait ! It's been soooo long ! How are you doing ?! Hoo, how's the baby ?! You've found a name ! It's Shadow Yato ! Whoah !"

Corrin nodded quietly, smile ever present. Beruka simply quietly tolerated the onslaught, having steeled herself for it.

"I'm doing alright, though as said in the letters…"

"Right ! Well, don't you worry, we'll help you !" said Elise, joining them !

"The baby's name has yet to be discussed." Answered Beruka, avoiding some gawking servants. "It seems that Corrin desires to name them… Kana."

"It's a pretty nice name, you don't think ?"

"Hm." She agreed, not caring much about the name. She wasn't that imaginative.

"Soo, when are you going to huh…"

"I shall give birth in a few months." Replied the assassin. She repeated that to herself in her thoughts, being, perhaps, more surprised at this statement than Elise herself. Fortunately, her surprise was well hidden away beneath her usual frown.

"As for Shadow Yato, well… I can't really just leave it behind !"

"Haha, yeah, that'd be silly !"

"Yeah, I'm not that airheaded !"

While the duo was conversing, Beruka focused ahead, noticing that they were getting close to the throne room, going by the increased amount of soldiers. Most of them saluted upon noticing the royals but a few, who were heading the opposite way, were rushing forth and looking back. The male soldiers having their attention focused elsewhere and the sound of footsteps echoing through the hall was enough warning for Beruka, who raised her arm to stop the two "siblings" mid-walk.

"Is something wrong ?" questioned Corrin, though soon, a figure stepped into view.

"Awww, and here I was planning to surprise you like Elise."

"Sis !"

Camilla was not too different from when both women parted ways. The tall woman (who was still easily one head taller than Corrin, who himself towered over his wife noticeably) wore her usual armour, though it was slightly more ornate this time. It certainly had larger shoulder-pads, and more… defence around the chest area (though there was still just enough cleavage to attract the attention of a few hapless individuals).

There was a torn little scarf around her neck, and the woman's shoes were flat this time, meaning that she could more easily battle on foot. The lack of exposed skin made it, overall, much safer than her old one.

For once, her attire was more sensible than Beruka's civilian outfit. Selena would've perhaps been very amused at the situation had she been here.

"Your big sister is here !" said Camilla, stretching her hands out and embracing the three at once, keeping them in her grip for a while before letting go. Corrin and Elise laughed, but Beruka briefly looked traumatized, though she soon regained her composure.

"Don't be so surprised, Beruka ! You're part of the family after all." Addressed Camilla.

"In… deed…" answered the assassin. She did not really appreciate the hugging, but the princess moved on to the next subject !

"Corrin ! You look… oh."

Camilla's eyes opened and she laid her eyes on the couple, only now noticing their clothes.

"Oh my…"

"Errr, we..."

He looked at Beruka.

"Were caught flat-footed and we put on those clothes as quickly as possible !"

"Liar liar !" yelled Elise, and Beruka's eye twitched, fearing that other soldiers, or worse, _retainers_ would be attracted by the commotion. She feared that Effie would burst through the wall to check on all the talking, feared that Niles would turn up and proceed to quietly remember the scene for all of eternity, feared that some non-retainers, such as Charlotte, would arrive and engage in her passive-aggressive warfare, perhaps the one kind of warfare that Beruka was uninterested one.

She did not know if it was "shyness" or pride, but she truly did not want for anyone else to reach the scene. Corrin seemed to become aware of it, but Elise remained unaware.

"You should've left the lying to Beruka, dear !" answered Camilla, though she quickly approached the duo and pushed them along. "Come now, you should change clothes !"

"W-wait, what about Xander and Leo ?!"

"You know how long their meetings go. Whenever they go in that room, a minute may be an hour to those two ! Come now."

Beruka hurried along, nearly dragging her husband along. Elise provided her and Camilla with assistance, successfully leading them to a room and closing the door behind them, leaving the couple temporarily stranded.

Said room was, thankfully, empty (except for them) and had some lockers, filled with clothes. Beruka could see ones that, while they were not what she truly wanted (namely, armor), proved to be much more adept to whatever tastes she had.

The blue-haired woman sighed and put her fingers on her temples, massaging them while Corrin turned to her in a panic.

"I'm so sorry Beruka ! I… I forgot how…"

"It's… good." She said. She, too, forgot just how quirky the Nohrian princess was, though at the very least, she wasn't acting offended over the couple's being together.

"Still, we should… well, if you want, we can go back…"

"It would be quite rude." She said. "We shall survive. Be firm with Camilla over her potential distractions however. I shall assist you in that endeavor."

He nodded and turned around, so did she.

She was thinking of Camilla, too. While the princess was as energetic as ever, she seemed to have been doing some work. Was that the reason of her lack of visits on Corrin, perhaps ? Had the princess been travelling around the country, in service of Nohr ?

Admittedly, she dared to admit a little curiosity in the recent exploits of her former employer.

…

Corrin defaulted to something practical, wearing a black shirt and a high-collar (though it was much smaller than its predecessor), blue coat, with black pants and shoes. There was a sheath for Yato as well, but otherwise, he was just wearing something practical.

Beruka still had some fur on her purple coat, but it was much more practical, and her current attire was much less extravagant than the others, being similar to Corrin's. After he was done, they both stepped out of the room, though he bothered to put the clothes back in their closet.

Ever-patient, Elise stood outside, clapping her hands as soon as they came out. No sign of Camilla yet, perhaps she was changing too.

"Whoah, it took you no time at all !" she said.

"Thanks !" he said. "So ! How have you been doing the whole year ? You've been asking me a lot of questions while answering none !"

"Oh ! Well, I've been trying to learn." She said. "How to be a better princess and all ! It's a little boring though !"

"Come on now, surely, you've been doing something else !"

"Well, sometimes, I follow Arthur in his missions, and I try to help him with them ! There are plenty of people in trouble even now, and sometimes, their problems are more complex than just bandits ! But it's good ! Xander told me to be careful, but said that it's a good opportunity to get closer to the people of Nohr !"

"Ah, Arthur ! How is he doing ? Still accomplishing good deeds, I see !"

"Yep ! He's a bit off duty now though."

"What would… ohh, is he…"

"Yeap ! He's a father now ! Teehee !"

"Fantastic ! My sincerest congratulations to him !"

"I helped with it too ! It's…"

"How was it ?" asked Beruka, to the surprise of Elise. The "former" assassin had elected to stay in the background for now, but found herself suddenly interested when the subject of birthing came up.

The blonde was quick to react, but seemed a little surprised at Beruka actively engaging a dialogue instead of being prompted to answer a question.

"It was a bit… yuckie !"

"… Yuckie." Repeated Beruka, tilting her head. The word came off as irritating to her.

"Oh, no, not yuckie. I mean, it was pretty painful for Effie ! And, well, that's Effie ! Remember ? She charged through a stone wall once !"

If Effie herself (whom, for Beruka's perception of her as a dim-wit, was certainly blessed with extraordinary strength and durability) found it difficult, then… Beruka felt Corrin's hand on her shoulder, but she merely nodded sagely.

"But you know, the end was worth it. I remember the way she held Percy… she was so _soft_. And Arthur was happy ! Happier than he's ever been before ! I know that I'm not being very reassuring but in the end, it'll be the happiest moments in your lives once its said and done !"

Corrin breathed in relief, while Beruka considered her words. Yes, the pain seemed to be quite overwhelming… but she suffered worse, and emerged all the stronger for it. It was but weakness leading her body, said her former master.

Beruka looked down, deep in thoughts, but was pulled away from her thoughts when she felt something setting upon her shoulder, turning around to face Camilla, back from her own little dressing room.

"I'm so proud of you about that, my little sister !" said Camilla. "Seeing you become a woman warms my heart."

"I'm still a few years away from that !" quipped Elise.

Camilla was wearing a black dress, marked with some white lines. Part of it was see through, revealing that she was wearing a black, sleeveless, short outfit beneath it. To her credit, it was still less revealing than before, though it didn't stop Corrin from looking away, perhaps out of embarrassment.

While she would've pointed that out a year ago, Camilla didn't bother with teasing him and turned towards Beruka, though thankfully, the group set off for the throne room.

"What were you doing prior to the gathering, Lady Camilla ?"

"You shouldn't fall back on old habits. You're my sister-in-law, Beruka." Retorted Camilla. "I'll tell you everything though. There is a lot for us to discuss !"

The purple-haired woman smiled, and Beruka instantly recognized her facial expression. It was a disarming smile, meant to lure the target into a simple-sounding yet actually complicated conversation. The wyvern rider never fell for it, but Selena did, a few times, and over the course of her service, she saw countless men fall for it, only realizing their mistakes when it was too late.

Camilla was not hoping to fool her though. Rather, the younger woman interpreted it as a hidden message of some sort : "This is going to be a long conversation, so prepare yourself."

Upon arriving in front of the throne room, Beruka could see that it looked a little less obviously evil, with the changes performed to the room being quite drastic. There were more lights, mostly, but the room's more over-the-top elements were removed for the most part. The door still looked quite fearful, but the leader behind it was of much sounder mind than Garon, or so announced the room.

"How exciting. We're going to be reunited after a year !"

"Your enthusiasm is contagious, my dear Elise ! What about you, Corrin !"

"I'm eager to catch up with my siblings, of course ! It's going to be interesting to see where fate has led us !"

"Fate ? Interesting topic to bring up. And what about you, Beruka ?"

"… I am looking forward to this." She answered, staying calm even as the doors leading to the throne room opened.

...

**A/N : **Next chapter : King Xander and Leo, some more characters popping up, and more Beruka getting weirded out !

Also, a little detail on the Post-Conquest world : When the people of Nohr talk about Garon in life, they just say "King Garon". When talking about the sort-of-golem, though, they just say "Garon", "Monster", "Slime", amongst others.

The complicated matter is knowing when, exactly, the former became the latter ! And folks from other countries are quite eager to put the man and the beast in the same category.

Don't forget to review if you wish ! Any critic is appreciated !


	6. Of in-laws and doubts

The doors to the throne room opened, but alas, Xander and Leo were not out yet. First, a whole lot of high-ranked Nohrians nearly bursted out the room, discussing amongst themselves and saluting the siblings, who stood aside. To Beruka's reliefs, they did not try and stop for a chat, instead opting to continue.

Some of them seemed to be a little agitated, but only the young woman was paying any heed to the men and women as they walked down the stairs, all but vanishing from view, though they could still be heard from afar.

"This meeting seemed to be important." Said Corrin, eventually joining his wife in contemplating the recent events.

"Of course, dear. But why would you focus on these people when your brothers are right around the corner ?"

Corrin turned and, indeed, Xander stood, though he seemed just a bit surprised.

Between the end of the war and now, Xander allowed a bit of beard to develop, mostly over his chin. His hairstyle was no different, but he now wore a large black crown, similar to Garon's, though his was less intricate. He was clad in black armor, with a coat of some sort over it. Siegfried was visible, quietly resting within its sheath.

He projected a wised image of a sort, but managed to look a bit friendlier than before. His smile was slightly wider at the very least, and he had calmer eyes than before. She could, however, easily see some stress and fatigue, as befit one who wishes to change Nohr's place in the world as a whole.

"Little prince !" greeted Xander, advancing forth. Some guards stood in the throne room, but they did not follow the king. Perhaps because any assassin would be foolish to even attempt an action in front of the army-defeating siblings.

"Or perhaps I should stop calling you that ? After all, you are a hero of Nohr and a father-to-be. You've outgrown this title long ago !"

"Perhaps !" said Corrin. "But I'd miss the nickname."

Both he and Corrin shook hands, though Beruka was focusing on the figure behind them.

"I do hope that you were not bothered by the delay." Said Xander afterwards, with the group walking back a little. "We are dealing with important matters."

"And that is why you they shouldn't be bothered." Answered a voice, as Leo stepped into views. Out of the siblings, he had perhaps changed the least, though he traded his armor as a dark knight for the clothes of a royal advisor. His ensemble was considerably more practical than his predecessor's, however. "Our family reunion can afford to wait a little when national matters are at hand."

"Leo !" said Corrin, recognizing him.

"You're being so serious, Leo !" goaded Elise, as the younger brother advanced and shook hands.

In spite of his comments, he had a little smile on his face, indicating that he was pleased over the current events. This left Beruka as the only person in the room with a poker face, a socially unwise move. As a result, she attempted to smile a little, curving her lips upwards a little.

Corrin looked over at his brother and made a thumbs-up. "Your collar is in the right place, brother !"

"One year of absence and _this_ is your greeting ?" said an annoyed Leo, rolling his eyes. The other siblings had a distinctly more amused reaction, with even the King smiling a little.

"And to celebrate such a monumental event…" started Xander, to the dark prince's annoyance. "We've gathered together."

"It feels like old times." Announced Camilla, who remained silent during the introduction of the King and his advisor. Beruka was suspicious of that, though she suspected that the princess was watching over her, curious about her reactions. Perhaps the others followed her gaze, because the king turned over to the former assassin.

"Congratulations with the baby, Beruka." He announced. "I do apologize for any delays on our part."

A lesser woman would've perhaps been quashed by the realization that the royal family of Nohr's entire attention was focused on her, but the young woman smiled politely and bowed, putting her hand on her stomach.

"No need to apologize to me, Lord Xander." She answered. "I am glad to be amongst you with my husband."

"Your wedding was so cute !" chirped in Elise. "We're glad to have you in the family ! We're quirky from a distance but don't worry, we'd do anything for each other !"

"Yes, the wedding was good." Said Leo, aware that things did not go according to plan and not wishing to dwell on it. "Now, for the rest of the day…"

"Let us introduce them to their room." Said Xander. "And prepare the dinner. I still have some business to attend to, but I'm curious to hear about what you two were up to."

"I'll tell you everything about !" answered Corrin. "Start to finish ! I've got a lot of things to tell !"

…

"What am I going to tell ?" said Corrin, anxiously spacing back and forth within the room.

Beruka, while not one to really care about such trivial things, still found herself interested in her temporary place of residence. The fire in the chimney and numerous magic-powered lamps lit the red room where they were residing.

It had several immense bookcases, and at least two wooden table, with some gifts on them (with at least one being a tiny replica of the couple holding hands, to blame on Camilla no doubt). A large red carpet, in the shape of a circle, laid on the floor, marked with the Nohrian emblem. Two massive windows stood as well, leading to a balcony that overlooked the city beyond.

There was a massive portrait of one of the previous kings, Theodore, looking down at the visitors in contempt above the chimney. Some busts were also located along the room, depicting important Nohrians. One was close to two closets, full of various clothes.

A bed led in the corner of the room, next to the chimney and the window. Behind it stood another window, though there was a massive curtain next to it. Out of paranoia, Beruka bothered to try to see if there was anything an assassin could use to access the room, and found that this one window did not connect to the balcony.

While Corrin was walking around, Beruka was laying down on the bed, contemplating the ceiling and its depiction of a teenage King Garon invading the country of Qlipoth, the attackers from" beyond the sea" who brought ruin to Nohr's homeland. Unlike the monster that stood in its place, this Garon was very similar to Xander, apart, perhaps, from the longer hair and prettier face.

She heard that he was popular amongst women, and not only because of his social position. He was not her type, but she could see why he had so many children.

Beruka laid her eyes away from the king to Corrin and sat up.

"Calm down. We'll discuss this together."

"Right, sorry." He said, sitting down next to her.

"First off, the matter of the pregnancy will come up."

"Yes, it's quite the development, isn't it ? I could talk about it if it bother you."

"We should talk about it together. Allow me to describe my reaction, and you will describe yours."

"Should I talk about my fainting ?"

"Perhaps." She answered.

"Then maybe we could talk about the visits ? Silas visited a lot after all, and he was there for the announcement."

"Good place to segue from one topic to another."

"Agreed !" was his answer. "Then, err…"

"We could buy time and ask about what they were doing. If we ever find ourselves unable to provide more informations, this could be used to gain time."

"And to know what they did too !"

"Yes."

"What next…"

"Your memories ?" dared to ask Beruka.

"Huh, not during supper… maybe I'll ask them later, but we don't need to rush. Let's settle in first."

"Do not forget that we're here to help you with that. They will not be available all day, after all, and this is a good opportunity to engage the topic since they'll be gathered together."

"Yeah, it's kind of an… elephant in the room but... maybe we should wait just a little ?"

"Corrin."

"I mean, just so you can see how your dynamic work ? Leo always does…"

"Corrin."

He sighed and scratched the top of his head.

"I'm sorry, it's just… those are not memories that I really wish to face." He says. "I've been trying to prepare myself but it's pretty hard to really speak truthfully of these. What if I break down ?"

Beruka realized that she was a little too forward and calmly put her hand on his, grabbing and raising it slowly.

"Those are painful memories, yes." She admitted. "But you need to confront them, be it tonight or tomorrow. Remember that they were told of them, Corrin, they will be suspicious if you avoid talking about it.

"You're right, but it's a lot to take in." admitted Corrin. "But…"

He bit his lips and observed his surroundings, though she kept her hand on his, as a reminder that he was not alone.

"Yeah, it'll be for the best. You know, I've been doing better since we started to talk about it."

"I noticed." Declared Beruka. "And this is why your family will be of utmost importance."

He nodded quietly and got just a inch closer.

"Err, otherwise… maybe we could use the dinner to help you become part of the family ?"

"Hm, have me join the family dynamic, you mean ?"

"Yeah. We're not normal siblings by any means, but I kind of want you to really be part of it."

"Why so ?"

"Well, they're all in your in-laws…" he said, though Beruka guessed that he was lying.

"And they must be curious to learn about you too !" continued Corrin. "Well except Camilla."

"Perhaps they are asking themselves why you would develop an interest in me, an assassin."

"You're much more than just that !"

"To you, but it shall always be a part of my identity, and they might not accept me so easily for that reason."

"Well, Camilla did it." He retorted.

"Yes, as a retainer. And the other three must be more sensible about this than her."

"Hee…. They… did accept me, and I'm of Hoshidian blood."

Beruka was not sensible about being potentially rejected by the siblings, of course, but she gained a… reputation, and a king like Xander might see her acceptation into the fold as hypocritical, considering his efforts to redeem Nohr and show it as a proud, fierce yet honorable nation.

And, to many, an assassin was the exact opposite of "honorable". Not that she minded, though. Honor is for imbeciles who except fairness in bitter struggles to the death.

"I appreciate your intentions, Corrin. I shall try, but only if you promise to talk about your issues as well." She declared. "See this as… trust. I shall attempt to engage in a conversation and you will, in exchange, open up."

"Thanks, Beruka. I know that I'm being a little pushy about it but…"

"I can understand that. There is little to earn in merely nudging someone forward."

They stared at each other briefly and leaned in, quickly kissing one another on the lips before pulling back. They both weren't too fond of long, extravagant kisses like in the books, opting for those quick "pecks" instead.

"Oh my…"

In a flash, the two turned around, noticing the tall figure of Niles, arms folded, leaning against the door. Unlike the others, he had very little physical changes, bearing the same clothing and having a more extravagant golden eyepatch, slightly longer hair, too. His posture was the same, as was the smarmy smirk.

"I was sent to get you two but it seems like you're having a moment. Ah, don't mind me though."

"Niles !" said Corrin, getting up in an instant, face beet red. "You could've knocked ! Or announced yourself before entering !"

"Oh, pardon me, I'm quite used to getting in places without bothering to introduce myself." He answered.

Beruka kept her usual poker face though, not wanting to show any weakness to the thief. She knew that there was a good man laying beneath the sarcasm and sadism, but he was definitely not above doing some "teasing". And Niles's idea of such was quite eccentric.

"Focus on why you were sent, Niles."

"You two are on the chopping blocks."

Not even Corrin reacted to that one, prompting Niles to sigh and unfold his arms, smirking.

"Dinner's ready, and I was given the task of getting you two."

"Let's go then." Said Corrin.

…

Niles's presence in the castle confounded her a little. She knew that the man was quite loyal to Leo, but Beruka thought that he'd be off elsewhere, on a mission of some kind.

She could respect his skills, at the very least, and the fact that they apparently saw no use at the moment was quite bizarre. Thus, after a small delay, Beruka once again decided to indulge her nascent curiosity.

"Your skills should put you elsewhere, Niles."

"Oh, thank you for the compliment, dear." Answered the man. "I've just returned from a little… peace-keeping mission."

He smirked at Corrin as he said that, presumably to tease him. Corrin sighed in answer.

"And Lord Leo, for old time's sake, gave me a simple assignment : getting you two to dine. Now, how _precise_ should I be in my report ?"

"How _precise_ will be your autopsy if you even attempt to do that ?"

Niles actually chuckled at this one, and, tellingly, her husband only nodded. It's not that he disliked the eyepatch-wearing man, but the thief's personality provided some heavy contrast to Corrin's, meaning that he could more easily get to his nerves.

"You're lucky that it wasn't Odin. He would've killed your mood for the next three nights."

"Lord Leo would need to make quite a lot of way to give Odin such an assignment now."

"Indeed, indeed." Replied Niles. "But I find myself missing him now. He was… a refreshing brand of crazy. You could actually hang out with him, you know ? The others are less fun to have around."

"The others ?"

"Mostly Peri, Arthur from time to time. I appreciate dear old Arthur, but he repeats himself. Odin had a bottomless amount of imagination by contrast. Every day, he'd find a new technique and I'd just wonder how he managed to even spell it."

"Peri's in the castle ?"

"Better lock your door at night." Warned Niles, though he soon stopped near a large wooden door, putting part of his cape on his forearm and stepping out of the way before leaning forward, hand on his stomach.

"I hope that you'll enjoy our meal."

The dining room was enormous, with plenty of servants silently taking care of the plates or food. Xander sat at the end of the table, in a large black chair. The other chairs, while no less magnificent, were scattered unevenly. Leo sat at the opposite end, in front of Xander. Camilla was next to Elise, and Beruka was next to Corrin.

Still, the table could very easily greet more guests.

It was quite fancy compared to the rest of the castle, and Beruka realized, with something close to awe, that she could probably fit her house in there.

At the moment, though, she was trying to make feasting elegant, subtly gathering a ton of food in her plate. Corrin himself was doing the same, but was less subtle over it.

She did listen to her introductory talks, but to be honest, most of her attention was on the food, which she collected to best fit the baby. Corrin, once more, merely began devouring the largest things available.

"Don't choke on your food." Warned Leo.

"You always had an appetite." Said Camilla, with a soft chuckle. "But you left me in the dark over your own gluttony, Beruka !"

"I am acquiring nutriments for the baby." Answered the former retainer, seeing an occasion to engage the subject. Corrin promptly slowed down, now noticing that they were about to talk about it.

"Sooo, when did you get it ? How did you react, too ?!" asked Elise, ever-curious.

"A few months ago." Started Corrin, scratching the back of his head. "I… fainted when I learnt of it."

Leo chuckled once, closed his eyes, and shook his head slightly. Camilla and Xander's chuckles were warmer though, and Elise's laughed in surprise.

"She caught me though ! And then, well, we did send you some letters." He answered.

"They weren't very descriptive, dear ! I wanted to just fly over to your little home but… alas, I was caught up in these pesky missions."

"Those pesky missions are quite important, Camilla."

"Are you still fighting, Lady Camilla ?"

"Not quite. It's… democratic, really. I supervise reparations, make some paperwork, ensure that Nohrians settle in new territory peacefully and… oh, you wouldn't want to hear about it."

"Better than slaughtering those who disagree with us." Said Leo. "Those missions are quite important. I know that you wanted to see Corrin, but Nohr did a lot of damage to the world, and it is our duty to step up and repair those."

Elise bite her lips and Beruka went back to eating. However, unexpectedly, Xander charged with a question.

"Have you found a name, per chance ?"

"Oh ! Kana !" said Corrin. "We agreed on it. We'll know the baby's gender at… birth, but Kana's settled for either." He continued. "Unless we find a better name !"

"Do you think that she'll be a dragon, too ?"

"Hum… a little." Answered Corrin. "I wouldn't be surprised if she has pointy ears, for instance. And as for the dragon form… well, there's always the stone that Azura…"

He stopped for just a moment, but she could tell that her memories were rushing back to him. He told her the origin of his "dragonstone", and how the songstress handed it over to the prince, but she was also his ally in the war, and stood by his side numerous times. And while he ultimately chose her, Beruka knew that Azura felt something for Corrin, even one such as her, formerly mute to love, could tell.

The blue-haired prince saw her as a dear friend, meanwhile, and her death affected him a lot. While they knew each other for a year or so, her impact on his life was immense.

Still, he pulled through. "Gave to me. I could try to find another."

The ambiance was different as a result, though.

"I could try to search for one while exploring the country." Offered Camilla.

"I know the old magical arts. If all else fails, I could make one for you. We've still got some months, right ?"

"I could help with either !" said Elise. Xander, meanwhile, was silent, pondering on what to do.

Relief washed over Corrin's face, and his lips quivered a little, though he held strong.

"Thank you, everyone !" he said. "I know that it's selfish of me, but…"

"Well, darling, it's quite reasonable." Said Camilla. "You wouldn't want to have a little dragon devouring your flowers, now ?"

Beruka thought back of them a little, but was forced back into the conversation when Camilla turned to look at her.

"Now, how do you feel about this, Beruka ?"

"It is wise." She said. "As for the baby itself, raising it will prove no doubts challenging, but it shall be done."

Camilla actually pouted, while the others quietly listened in.

"Did I perhaps offend you by accident ?"

"Hm ? Oh no ! I was thinking about poor old Selena. What troubles is she facing, far away from my vigilant gaze ?"

"Selena is a competent warrior in spite of her insecurities."

"And she's likely to be accompanied by Laslow." Piped in Xander.

"Hm ? Why would you think that ?" asked Elise.

"They appeared at around the same time. Were putting on accents. Obviously knew of one another way prior to this. Had troubles with Nohrian customs… they were never of Nohr, or any other country within Dreiz."

"Oh no, were they spying on us !"

"That can't be true." Said Corrin. "They fought alongside us during the war after all !"

Beruka quietly munched on toast of some sort. She held little opinion over the matter, but would be quite disappointed in Selena.

"Trust" was important. Beruka trusted only two or three people on the globe, and Selena was amongst them. Because of her work, the young woman was aware of how sudden death could be, and always kept her guard around nearly anyone, no matter the context or location. But _some_ persons were judged as trustworthy, as in, they would not attempt to stab her in the back.

This was important to her. For a paranoid like Beruka, allowing anyone to get that close to her was downright amazing, and it served as a proof of her evolution in behavior. If she turned out to be wrong (and somehow survived said revelation) however, she'd perhaps drop "Trust". entirely.

The knife gift was the final step of the Trust, by essentially handing a weapon over to the opposite party while she had none. Beruka was aware of how dangerous this was, though, so she would only ever do that to a select few people in the future.

Though she was content with only being this careless around Corrin, their future child, and Camilla.

"Well, worst case scenario, they turn up with an army. Best case scenario, they just go back home. I'm doubtful that the latter scenario would happen though. Why would three strangers wander in a foreign land, serve it for a few years, and then leave ?" offered Leo.

"Maybe they just like helping people ? Or they just wanted to fight…" theorized Elise.

"Luckily for us, with Odin around, I doubt that they'll be able to launch a sneak attack if it come to that." Said Camilla.

"Instead of pondering about a imaginary conflict, perhaps we could discuss about the current peace." Said Xander.

"How is… Hoshido doing ?" asked Corrin, after a little while. The siblings reacted in surprise, save for Xander, who reacted immediately.

"The war took its toll on the people of Hoshido, but we are working to deepen the bond between our countries. I would like to tell you that this is successful but…"

"…"

"To the rest of Dreiz, the story of the false king is a lie. They see the empty king as a false scapegoat, a way for Nohr to absolve itself of any crimes during the war by blaming it on a boogeyman and his minions. Hans and Iago are dead, but their influences live on, and they still come to mind when someone think of our country."

"You must understand." Said Leo. "While Hoshidians withstood the oddities of the final battle and the… mud that remained, many still refuse to simply blame it all on Garon."

"I see a lot of this, and it's hard to disagree. Garon was a monster, but his subordinates were Nohrians, and while they might have had orders, they were still… gleefully committing to evil." Answered Camilla.

"This is why we're trying to push these reforms. We need to show that we're changing."

"And, to come back on the topic about Hoshido… they seems to be quite divided on how to act with Nohr. We've managed to get some trades going with the Queen but plenty of merchants are protesting because of the damage done to their business by the war, if said damage does not apply to their loved ones as well."

"And a lot of the Hoshidians…"

Xander quietly made a gesture, but Corrin allowed Leo to finish his sentence. Beruka's eyes were widened in genuine fright.

"… Resent you over it. I'm…"

Leo attempted to say it as "nicely" as one could be, but it was quite clear that even at his "nicest", the news were still harsh. Corrin, however, nodded and quietly went back to eating, smiling quietly.

All the persons in the room instantly knew what that smile meant, but alas, he side-stepped any further question about Hoshido.

…

The dinner ran the rest of its course in silence, and, upon being done with eating, Corrin quietly retreated out of the room. Beruka attempted to follow but, alas, Kana made her pleasure with the food known via some kicks, and the "attacks" slowed her down just enough to prevent her from catching up with him.

Beruka felt _atrocious_, and not only because of the kicking. She encouraged her husband to speak up but offered him no real pointers on how to approach the conversation, and was of no help during it. Part of her blamed Leo for his approach too, but the assassin also knew that there was no nice ways to put his actions in.

Corrin did cause death and suffering. He was forced into doing so, and truly wished to limit his deeds, but those were poor words of consolation for his victims. And as said by the brothers, the continent was not going to quietly put all the blames unto the shoulders of the Empty King and his legions.

Most of the siblings left after Corrin bar, ironically enough, Camilla herself, who stood in front of the door that Corrin took.

"Camilla, please, let me through !"

"Beruka, calm down."

"Let me through !" said the wyvern rider. She did feel rage or anger at some points during the war, but doing so at a person of _royal blood_ was new to her, especially her former lord, of all people.

"Xander, Leo and Elise are taking care of it. We will be having our own chat."

"This is irrelevant for now ! You will stand aside and allow me to join him !"

Camilla quietly observed her, seemingly a bit surprised at the anger of her former assassin. Such behavior was unfit of her, but alas, having emotions meant losing your cool and forgetting etiquette.

"We will meet up with Corrin, but after our talk. I want to help him nearly as much as you do, so it will not be long."

"But…"

"Listen. If they fail to help him, then I will immediately drop the conversation, and you'll be able to join him. Alright ? They know where to find us."

Camilla held her hand out, and Beruka stared at her, in indignation.

"You… promise ?"

"I do. On my very honor as a royal." She said, with utmost seriousness.

"Then… let us do so, quickly !"

….

**A/N : **I always wanted to just do a sequel to Contest, but I'm actually slowly making it into an AU of some kind.

Namely, continental namedrop, places beyond the shores of Dreiz, etc.

Also, Corrin never thought that the people of Hoshido were fine with what he did. He was, however, somewhat in denial with it. Leo did kind of mess up though. I just wanted to show that I wasn't looking to absolve Corrin of his crimes, here. There are consequences to what he did.

The more I go, the more I might just end up making a prequel fic to show at least how parts of Conquest went here.

Anyway, as usual, any critic or review is appreciated ! Till next time !


	7. Corrin : Family Therapy

The castle of Shirasagi was a mess, its halls utterly devastated and filled with debris or purple water of some sort. Dead soldiers laid everywhere within it, with the living ones attempting to find a survivor amongst them.

At the end of the hall laid a beaten Takumi, demonic bow cleaved in two, bearing a huge diagonal wound over his body. The liquid that was coming out of it was not blood, though, being akin to the water that was everywhere around them, leaving his body like a stream. The prince twitched and yelled in agony as it did so, thrashing around with quick, jerky movements more akin to an insect than a dying prince.

Corrin stood over him, Shadow Yato in hand, and just a bit more alive than Takumi himself was. His armor was badly damaged in several spots, and was outright torn apart over his left rib. Paler than ever, he breathed irregularly. Beside the messy hair, his hands where extremely shaky, his eyes were wide and unblinking and he felt himself dying with every breath, as if gallons of blood were about to pour out of his mouth at any moment. And yet, in spite of his sorry state, the prince stood firm, though he had to plant his sword into the ground, leaning on it and praying that he would not collapse.

A new enemy would arrive, he feared. A desperate Hoshidan general, perhaps, or that hooded figure that took control of Ganglari. He couldn't even feel the relief of victory because of the sorrow and paranoia around him, his eyes quickly scanning around the room, fearing that he'd spot that damned figure. That it'd emerge out of the blue before easily cutting him down, making all his efforts insignificant with nothing but a single strike.

Because of that, he refused to even consider sitting down for now, and only relaxed slightly when most of the energy left Takumi, reverting the prince back to his sorry state. Amazingly, though, the Sniper was still alive, observing him weakly. Part of the energy still fueled him, apparently.

"Takumi, I'm… sorry…"

The white-haired prince observed him, and the dragon prince, for a fleeting instant, thought that Takumi would accept those. But such thoughts were naught but delusions, and his guard was weakened enough for Takumi's last words to shock him to his core.

"You… you… curse you… curse you… traitor… you… doomed Hoshido… doomed us all… Keep your… excu…"

Takumi's eyes glazed over as the ethereal power left him and, alas, the seemingly immortal prince passed away, blood pouring out of his mouth, eyes still staring at his killer. The knight tried to bend over to close them, but found himself unable to even move.

Corrin's breathing picked up, even as he heard his siblings and the rest of the army coming, and it took him for a while to register that there was a hand on his shoulder. Sighing, he turned around and found himself facing a completely different location.

Castle Shirasagi's ruined halls were gone, having been replaced by the omnious-yet-sturdy interior of Krakenburg, and his family stood. He, himself, was back in his noble clothing. Xander stood, with Elise and Leo beside him.

"Big brother, I was…"

Corrin awoke from his stupor and leaned to the side, noticing that they were alone : Beruka was absent, and so was Camilla.

"Where's Beruka ?" he asked, distressed.

"She's with Camilla. Don't worry, we're about to join them." Assured Xander. "But we might need to talk first."

"I… I'm sorry, big brother, but I can't just leave her behind like that. I.."

"You'll be reunited in no time, but we need to talk about your issues."

Corrin sighed. He was worried about ditching the group and especially her because of his feelings, but he imagined that they could patch it up later. Still, it somewhat impacted his mood.

"Alright…"

"War is not something that is so easily done." Began Xander. "And I was unable to shied you from it."

They slowly began walking along, with Corrin following.

"Still, why couldn't you tell us about it earlier ?" said Leo. "You held on these memories for a year without informing us ? Why ?"

"Beruka was there." He said. "And when she's around, they have an harder time getting to me."

Leo's lips moved but whatever he meant to say never left his mouth, thanks to a little glare from Elise.

"But still, we're family, Corrin ! C'mon, you should let us know when troubles happen !"

"I know Elise but… well, you all need to have your lives, right ? I can't ask you to just drop everything to go and reassure me. You've done much for me during the war, you went against that thing's orders and I don't feel like I should really get in the way."

Before any of them could answer, he continued.

"I even asked Beruka and she was fine with it. And I know that it's not healthy to just keep those memories but… I thought, maybe they'd go away. Maybe a year of peace and quiet would fix it."

"This doesn't quite work like that." Said Xander. "But before we talk about this, is this why you left ? Know that I am not accusing you."

"Don't worry, and yes. Well, I know that it was probably selfish of me. Without me, you'd have one less person to help with everything. But I felt that…"

He observed one of the paintings in the hallways.

"Well, I'm not good at diplomacy and my actions have brought harm to a lot of the countries over Dreiz, so I feel that things might go further sour if I attempt to help;"

"You pacified the ice tribe with minimal casualties." Said Leo. At that, Corrin briefly stopped, pondering. "It is true : Plenty died during the war."

"But a lot of those deaths were beyond your control… Hans and Iago interfered and that the thing bolstered them with its "royal" orders." Declared Elise.

"Yeah, I know but… I wanted to change the nation from the inside and minimize casualties and instead, I just stood there while atrocities happened under my very eyes. It took the end of the war for me to do anything right."

"I understand where you're coming from." Answered Xander. "But allow me to present a solution."

Xander prepared himself, and Corrin proceeded to look at his brother, curious.

"But first off, you shall never be a burden on us. Yes, you've made mistakes, Corrin. But so did I, by obeying the beast's orders instead of taking the matter in my own hands."

"We all did." Said Leo. "We might have acted against his orders, but we moved out against him too late."

Nohrian customs put "Family" on a very high pedestal. Friends went and go, but ultimately, family is what mattered the most. One may eventually break up with a lover or fight with a friend, but they can't dissociate themselves from the people who shaped them and made them what they are. The parents deserve utmost respect, children need to be protected, and siblings will always stay next to each other.

Even someone who was merely adopted into a family is part of it now.

Thus, turning against your family is a sin. You may fight or argue with them, but abandoning them is seen as a grave crime in Nohr, worse than only a very few crimes. Harming them outright is an even greater treason, and only immense political clout or strength can save someone from the consequences of such an act.

However, an abusive parent may be able to get away with this to an extent. It is considered disrespectful to interfere in family business after all, so as long as they give proper excuses, a parent may choose to be outright cruel to a child, with only the siblings being allowed to help indirectly.

Garon's position and this "tradition" meant that moving against him was very difficult. One does not fight a king without any plan, after all. Sure, his siblings could've afforded to move against him sooner, but one does not fight a king and a father without consequences in Nohr. It was telling, however, that it took the slaughter of several innocents and the full reveal of Garon's inhumanity for the siblings to truly stand against him

.

Part of Corrin was secretly resentful of that. It was a bit of poison that seeped in his soul and that he did not like though.

"But ultimately, these mistakes can only be erased by owing back to them." Finished Leo.

"What if I make things worse ? I'm the first to admit that I can be naïve."

"You'll have our help !" said Elise. "And you're pretty smart, I'm sure you'd get an easy handle on it !"

Corrin smiled, but reluctantly, prompting Xander to swoop in.

"Of course, though, we do not wish to drag you back to it."

"I'm aware of it, and I'm ever grateful !" He declared.

The prince briefly looked at his sword and thought, a little, of Lilith, of Ryoma, even his mother.

Those people gave their lives away (and Ryoma did it after Corrin made his hell) for him, and the young man felt that it had to matter. His destiny was always more than just… living in the countryside with his wife. He took much from the world and while he certainly attempted to perform some good deeds in return, it'd take more for him to truly be absolved.

Still, he felt hesitant. Interferences prevented him from doing his tasks but still, he feared that he might end up slipping up.

"As your brother, I regret this." Began Xander. "You always has a kind heart, and I knew that war would affect you. I should've shielded you from its horrors and kept you away from those who'd use it to satisfy their sadistic urges, but alas, I was too late."

Leo stood silent for now, along with Elise.

"If you want to stay away from a court that has done plenty of harm against you, I understand it. But we must…"

Corrin's answer ? He inhaled, waited three seconds, and exhaled, before speaking up.

"Don't worry, big brother. I will do so."

The talk gave him confidence, but in the end, trauma such as his does not vanish so easily. He knew, however, that he could eventually "defeat" it, and that perhaps the path needed to do so was in front of him.

"I'm going to come back to Windmire and help you. What you're doing… is what I've been seeking to accomplish since the very start, and I can't just run away from it now that it's here."

Xander smiled softly, and Leo, alas, slipped a smile, as did Elise !

"Yay ! The pep talk worked !"

"I just hope that Beruka will appreciate it."

"Surely, your wife would welcome any opportunity to help you." Said Leo.

"Of course, of course… where is she, too ? I need to reassure her, I, err, left in a hurry and I don't want her to be worried sick."

"We might need to keep this conversation going, but my duties call me, and I am satisfied with it as of now. Is there anything else you'd need, Corrin ?"

"Nothing, I just hope that I'll be able to help with all that paperwork." Declared Corrin.

"You really don't want to go there, trust me. Save yourself." Was Leo's answer. Corrin chuckled but then stopped after realizing that Leo wasn't joking.

…

The King and Leo left, and now, both Elise and Corrin were walking back to where Camilla and Beruka should be, though both royals knew that they were likely to be elsewhere. Luckily enough, Camilla was easy to find, and the assassin (he needed to refrain himself from saying "ex-assassin", though he'd appreciate it much) was not actually hiding.

"Soo, question time ?"

"Of course, Elise !"

"So, don't see it as me being hostile but, you know, I always wondered…"

"Why me and her ?" he said, with a smirk.

Elise put her hand in front of her mouth, a bit like Camilla, though her big sister did it whenever she laughed , whereas the youngest sibling's gesture manifested shock.

"It's alright. You know, everyone eventually ask me that." Answered Corrin, after a short chuckle. "Silas waited before asking. Niles casually asked me if I wanted to die during a conversation shortly after the war, and I figured it was related to that… he's kind of hard to read."

Truth to be told, they were all a little busy at the time, and most were content with just congratulating the duo, though even his closest friends appeared a little wary.

"I'm sorry if it look like I'm jealous or suspicious ! It was kinda cute even ! But, well.."

"Beruka is a good person at heart. She was forced to engage in a dark path early on, and that shaped her personality and views on the world, but she's been changing for the better, and I'm glad that I'm here to help her. She's strong, resourceful, smart and she knows when to rein me in. And she's a good person beneath it all, and truly took care of me without losing her patience."

Truth to be told, he also liked the assassin's strength, in character and physicals, and the way she tossed him around during trainings in the war. But it was a little weird to say… especially the second part, so he quietly kept it a secret from Elise, who was listening quietly.

"And to be honest, on my side, I've been trying to introduce her to new things. It's been a little hard with our location, but I plan on trying to do that again after we move."

"How successful are you ?" asked the blonde.

"So far, so good. She seems pretty interested in gardening, I was going to try to take the flowers in our garden but they seem to be too fragile yet. She, err, taught me some breathing techniques, they're useful for when I'm stressed.

Elise actually giggled at that.

"Aww, it's so cute to hear you talk about that ! It's weird to imagine that my big bro is married and about to become a father ! You know, even Xander is single for now !"

"Well, at least, I'll be ahead of him in one thing."

"Soo, once she's born and all, could I take care of Kana a little ?" chirped the princess.

"Hmm, you'll have to see with Beruka for that. But I'd suggest waiting, since she might have draconic attributes and… I'm a big eater, so feeding the baby might require some purchases."

"Well, apparently, you weren't that hard to feed as a toddler." Said Elise. "I mean…"

"It's okay, at the fortress, yes ?"

Elise nodded. "I think it was at the beginning." She started. "You tell me at anytime if it make you uncomfortable !"

"Of course !"

"Well, you ate but eventually, when you were full, you tried to keep going because you felt bad about wasting it. It went away with time though, since they knew just how much you were going to eat !"

It was probably when she was too young to really remember. Corrin was only about five when Garon captured them, and by that time, Camilla was 10 years old. Since Leo was also not of age, then only Camilla and Xander, who as 12 at the time, knew of it.

Thinking back of that, Beruka was about 7 by that time.

"Well, I do hope that my child will have a similar policy with the food !"

They both walked down the halls, with Corrin more than a little eager to find his wife. He had some good news to tell her after all.

…..

**A/N : **I'm not looking to trivialize Corrin's condition here. It's definitely going to need more than a family pep talk to get "fixed". But at least, he's on a better path, and the subsequent chapters will still deal with it.

Beruka's talk with Camilla is next. I thought it'd be neat to keep her out of the protagonist seat just for this one, though at this time, they both have a similar amount of importance to the plot at this point.

Also, in this timeline, Takumi never forgave Corrin for what he did, and Corrin came back in a different way. His issues are worse than in canon because he never had the full "don't worry about everything" pep talk. I might expand on that in a sequel fic of some sort.

Anyway, don't forget to critic and review if you desire !


	8. Of mysteries and smiles

The princess's room was plunged in the dark, with light barely coming out of the closed door nearby. Elite guards, clad in heavy armor and wearing silver weapons, stood in front of the entrance, though the room itself was devoid of them.

More guards walked down the halls, to keep track of the situation and provide assistance to their comrades if they ever ended up needing it. So far, though, Krakenburg's halls were devoid of any action or violence, and the men were pretty competent at their jobs, keeping their faces uncovered to notice any potential traitor and keeping their guards up around the lowliest servants.

And, because of that, the remaining royal children slept well tonight, though, unfortunately enough, danger headed the way of the children of Garon once more.

The closet closest to the bed quietly opened up, and a small figure emerged out of it, quietly holding a small wooden circle of some kind in her hand and glancing around the room. Upon noticing that the guards were beyond the door leading to the room, the person stood there for a moment or two, before very quietly drawing a long, sharp knife, the kind that a hunter would use to skin an animal.

The assassin glanced upon the knife and approached the princess slowly, without making any sounds, stopping every now and then to check for traps. Upon getting close enough to the sleeping girl, though, the mysterious killer upped the pace, approaching her and daring to raise her blade.

Then the princess opened her eye.

The knife-wielding girl stared at her but the Nohrian heir found no trace of surprise or fright on her face. She couldn't see her face well enough in the dark, after all, but they were actually close enough for the would-be victim to notice the sheer lack of expression on her face.

"You don't want to do this." She warned, quietly, before being greeted by a sudden stab at the heart. The purple-haired daughter of Garon rolled backward just in time though, with the knife stabbing into the bed itself. The assassin quickly attempted to pull it out but a foot came down hard on her wrist, causing her to let go of her weapon, and the same foot then went for her face, sending the would-be slayer of princess flying backwards.

The assassin was smaller than her, but promptly tried to get back up as soon as she hit the ground. Camilla, though, was ultimately not one to play fair. Grabbing the knife in mid-air and displaying unusual skill for a 15-years old, she leapt through the room and landed knee-first on the assassin, before pressing the blade against her throat. She placed her elbow on the mysterious youth's right arm, and her free hand restrained her foe's left arm, immobilizing her. The pinned enemy swung her legs futilely, but her defeat was total.

"Lady Camilla !"

The door opened, and the elite guards arrived into the room, though the situation was well under control by now. Camilla didn't even bother to turn to notice them, being busy with disabling the threat.

She should've ended it all already, but yet, she stayed her hand, only now noticing that the assassin was a girl, younger than she was. She had some caked blood on her face and a bandana but her clothes were akin to rags, like those worn by lower class citizen. But, the one detail that surprised Camilla the most was her sheer _lack_ of emotions.

Plenty of assassins would beg, or curse at her, or yell. But yet, her face did not change, even as she trashed, feebly attempting to free herself even when a blade was inches away from ending it all. By all means, she was in a panic, but her face didn't show it;

"No. No. No. No."

A soldier stepped up, eager to finish her off, but Camilla needed only a gesture to get him to back away.

"I can't return until you're dead, I can't return until you're dead, I can't return until you're dead."

Camilla's eyes widened.

…

"And this is how we met ! Isn't it ironic how far we've gone since then ?"

Beruka rolled her eyes slightly, not wishing to waste her time on petty conversations. She was never a fan of them from the start, and had a greater purpose to attend to, instead of roaming around Camilla's room. It was much more massive now, and featured some impressive (though fake) weapons. The closet where she snuck into was still around though, and the hole was still inside, though the tunnel has been filled.

"Lady Camilla…"

"Hu-huh ! Camilla now !"

"Camilla, what is the purpose of this ? I remember what happened just as much as you do. There is little purpose in showing it to me anymore."

She did bother to glance at the closet, nothing but a miserable bulky antique tied to the ground.

It was a daring gambit : Her employer snuck her into the castle, and then had Beruka work her way to the room. The young woman attempted to do so by making a tunnel, since the soldiers would check everything in the room before the royal would even dare to get close to the door leading to it. Luckily enough, she was aware of their schedule and made her final entrance (the hole into the closet) shortly before their last search, gambling on the guards not bothering to check below the small pile of clothing where it was.

It was a pretty shoddy plot, and one driven by desperation, performed by a Beruka in a pretty miserable state in body and mind.

"Well, it's a good showcase of your evolution !"

"My evolution into your "friend", right ?"

"How sharp !" complimented Camilla, who promptly began walking out of the room. Beruka followed her, though she felt irritated with the princess's tendency to move around.

"Indeed, I see it as "step one" in our little relationship !"

"Hrm. Becoming your retainer was step 2, I assume."

"Correct ! When I saw you being… oh, so broken, I felt that I should help you !"

"Why ? I would've killed you without any regrets."

"And yet, you didn't. After all those years, you always had your blade away from my throat !"

"You bested me in duel. That is enough to earn my respect."

Beruka pondered a little.

"At 15, you were better at catching assassins than many of my future targets."

"Ohhh, a compliment from my favorite former retainer ! Oh, you know. At that age, I was… used to those."

Camilla never talked too much about her younger years, though Beruka needed little investigation to learn about them. At a very young age, she was exposed to death and caught in a deadly little power struggle between Garon's concubines, quickly stamping out whatever innocence she had and forcing her to attack and kill her own siblings, at the behest of her mother.

The princess quickly got used to the violence, but never to the deaths of her siblings. Her sense of protectiveness and nonchalance over enemy death, her defining traits, were born out of her troubled childhood.

Beruka always suspected that Camilla's mercy all those years ago was not the result of empathy over her condition or a pragmatic desire to know the name of whoever hired her. She also took the extra step and attempted to figure out what Camilla wanted out of the assassin, guessing that the gifts (be it her old armor or axe) were offered for more than simple generosity.

"Hm. I am aware of that. Still, even as a younger girl, your skills were impressive."

"When you _had_ a mother like mine…"

Beruka nodded at that, understanding Camilla's emphasis on the word.

However, Camilla's mother had distinctly less impressive reflexes.

Both women progressed down the halls, with Beruka secretly attempting to find Corrin. He was not really the quiet type after all, and she hoped that he's make his presence clear eventually. However, part of her hoped that it would not come to this, since it took a lot to make Corrin actually _scream_ or vocalize loudly enough to be heard and it would mean that the siblings failed in their endeavor rather catastrophically.

"You only took me in as a retainer years after the fact."

"You kept refusing unless I upped the money, dear. And beside, the others were suspicious over you."

"As they should."

"Perhaps… you know, it was quite hard to keep you off the chopping block. Whenever you were out of my sight, I was worried sick over you !"

"Many have tried to kill me, if you ask. But they found themselves outclassed."

Camilla nodded, muttering under her breath.

"And, so, why were you in such a sorry state, dear ?"

"Hm. That was shortly after I took my most important… mission. I was more affected by its outcome then I wished, and I was desperate enough to attempt to accomplish it. Had I been in a more normal state of mind, I would've went for a subtler approach."

Only Camilla and Beruka could openly talk about the latter's attempt at murdering the former, then again, Camilla never minded.

"Yes, I know, but the little… what do they call it in Hoshido… Mantra ! What was that about already ?"

"My master would prevent me from returning home, early on in my career. I would need to go out and complete my work. If I attempted to go back without completing it, or attempted to lie, he'd kick me out. And he'd know, too." She said.

Her master was very much one like her, though she suspected that perhaps he was worse. He never opened up to her, never gave her his name, nor a name, nor lessons beyond killing. Plenty would be frustrated at the idea that their adoptive parent (of a sort) would be this much of a mystery, but she was content with it.

If it weren't for him, she would've died long ago. A little girl left alone to die in the shadow of Krakenburg. But he gave her the tools to live on, so she could at the very least thank him over the skills that grew available to her. Her life would forever be impacted by his influence, perhaps, but she was content with that. The matter, now, was making sure that said influence would not spread to the daughter.

"… What do you think ?"

"Pardon me ?"

"Oh, dear, were you daydreaming ?" asked an amused Camilla.

"I've picked up on that habit since the end of the war, yes. Repeat yourself… please, but do so quickly perhaps."

"Well, what about Selena ? What did you think of her in the end ?"

"Insecure for such a skilled woman."

Beruka was confident in her strength, and spent a lot of her life fighting or preparing to fight. Her role at a frontliner and picking up on magic by becoming a Malig Knight only made her even deadlier, and she was also skilled at hand to hand. And while she was weaker because of her current pregnancy, she intended to train back up after the birth of their child.

Few could fight her directly by this point, and that list included her husband, the royals themselves (bar, perhaps, Elise) and, surprisingly, Selena herself.

She noticed it during their sparring sessions or fights. Selena, while she would perhaps not defeat her at times, was never truly beaten either, with the assassin merely scoring a draw against her at best. And even when Beruka subtly amped her attacks, the redhead was able to push her back or defend against her onslaught successfully.

Truth to be told, she had easier times against Camilla herself. Selena was obviously a very well trained woman, one who was forced to pick up a sword at a very young age, and dragged herself through conflicts for years. The fact that she could have such insecurities in spite of her talent befuddled Beruka.

"Oh, you noticed it too, right ?"

"Yes. Selena is a skilled warrior, but is plagued with doubts and insecurities."

"Well, this is why I chose her." Said Camilla. "I thought that you two would make a nice foil, to be honest !"

"Foil ?"

"Hm-hum. The redhead and the… bluehead, is it ? One is full of passion yet insecure, and the other is pragmatic yet cold. I was perhaps just amused at the contrast."

"Perhaps you also desired to make us interact." Affirmed Beruka. "That we'd learn of one another."

"Did you ?"

Truth to be told ? Not too much. Beruka did feel sadness at her departure, and the redhead did push her towards Corrin, so the assassin could perhaps feel grateful. But Selena was also somewhat frustrating, to Beruka, particularly with her secret.

Corrin was very much the kind of person to have his heart on his sleeve, and she knew Camilla well enough to guess the truth behind the smile and sweetness. But Selena always had something hidden, and because of that, Beruka had trouble truly trusting her.

She was an enigma. And Beruka was likely going to die before she could learn the whole truth. That blue necklace was likely going to remain in its box.

"She helped me." Said Beruka, opting to try to put a positive spin on thing (she, briefly, had a vision of a smirking Corrin, with a thumb up, complimenting her about it).

"Hm…"

"But… what could _she_ learn from me ? Beside assassination techniques or…"

"Oh, oh ! That is some dangerous talk coming out of you !"

"I fail to see what you mean."

"Aren't you going to be a mother ? You shouldn't be saying such things now. After all, soon, you'll be in charge of shaping a person's worldview ! Your daughter will need your guidance !"

Everyone assumed that it'd be a daughter for some reason. Even Beruka's own subconscious thought so.

"Corrin could take care of it. I may be able to provide her with the means to fight, perhaps."

"Isn't that a little depressing ? Surely, you won't just provide her with fighting skills."

"… True, but consider that those are all that I can pass on. I am an assassin. I've killed plenty, and devoted my life to it. I…"

"You've fell in love, though, and you care about Corrin. It is true that your identity as an assassin define you… but alas, you've grown past it. You're a different person than you were, I saw you change over the years, Beruka. You can become a proper mother and pass on the right skills. Give her hobbies, perhaps, or be there to support her when she need it the most…"

Beruka considered her former master quietly. Perhaps this is what she wanted to talk about.

"In the end, you are your own person, and you shall do as you wish. Motherhood does not come so easily to all of us, and I know what you feel like. This is a very different type of experience compared to what you're used to, and nothing in your life truly prepared you for it, but you'll have the backing of your new family to help with that now…" finished Camilla, having grown a little more emotional than before over the speech.

The assassin could've cried, perhaps. That would've been a fitting conclusion, or thanked Camilla, or chose to remain silent. But instead, she smiled.

A genuine smile, the likes of which were coming to her more and more. And this one was on her face for a little while longer than most. It did fade, eventually, but the message has been communicated.

"… Oh. I do believe that Corrin is influencing me." Said Camilla. "Selena would chide me over such a speech, I believe."

"Perhaps she'd do so while smiling."

"Indeed." Declared Camilla, before turning around.

"Now, we should go back to Corrin, right ? I've held you back for too long."

"Right behind you."

…

**A/N : **I always thought that Beruka and Camilla met at an early age. The client of the attack was probably one of the last remaining concubines, in a desperate bid to oust one of the last surviving children. Out of revenge, perhaps ?

Honestly, the "Concubine War" is one of the best bits of backstory of Fates. If you wish to see a fic that dwell on it, the fanfiction "The Lost King" by The Apocryphal One is an excellent read !

I was thinking that it'd be nice to have a talk with Camilla without too much Corrin in it. Up to you guys to be the judge on how accurate I was to canon with it !

Once again, reviews and critics are appreciated !

Next chapter, we're going to be seeing my take on a new Peri !


	9. Of nausea and awkward conversations

As promised, Camilla brought Beruka before the spot where the two women started at, though it'd be fairer to argue that the assassin remembered the spot and went there, outpacing her former master to be able to do so. Camilla didn't seems to mind though, chuckling agreeably as the duo finally reached the room where their little talk began.

And, soon afterwards, both Corrin and Elise arrived, turning around the corner and spotting both women. Xander and Leo's absence was surprising, but they had business to engage with, and beside, Beruka soon lost interest in them, choosing to focus on Corrin as the dragon prince took off to cross the hallway as soon as he spotted her, briefly apologizing to Elise beforehand.

Upon arriving, he immediately embraced her, in a manner that perhaps only him could even bother to get away with when it came to her.

"I'm sorry, Beruka ! I left and.."

"You're back now." She answered, wrapping her arms around him and patting him on the back. Camilla giggled, and Elise cooed a little, but Beruka was surprisingly okay with this, even as Corrin backed off. He wasn't crying, but he did seem to be upset over his departure.

"I know but you must've been worried and I was…"

"It's alright. I understand." Declared the blue-haired woman. "The one thing that I'm curious about is how your talk with your family went."

"Sure !" He answered. "Though… I hope you won't mind if you go back to our room. I'm a bit tired."

"Very well. Camilla, Elise, we shall meet again tomorrow, good night."

"Have fun." Said Camilla, putting emphasis on the last word and smiling coyly.

…

Beruka turned around and locked the door this time. She knew that it wouldn't stop Niles from entering if he ever had to fetch them again, but at least it was safer than a simple closed door. And beside, the thief was probably away now, on a mission or somewhere in Windmire.

The woman put the key on the table and Corrin sat on the bed, sighing a little. He seemed happier than before, though she didn't know if he was putting a façade or not. However, since he wasn't that much of a good liar, she figured that she could easily see past it over the course of the confrontation, by analyzing his facial expressions or voice. Nonetheless, she too sat down on the bed, next to him.

"So, erm, my siblings talked to me about a bit of everything."

"Your issues and the child ?"

"Yeah, that." He answered, nodding sagely. "Along with the fact that I dragged you to the countryside to live there."

"There was no dragging. I agreed with it."

"So, erm, would you agree to go back to Windmire then ? Maybe we'd live in the castle. I know that you don't like the city life much but…"

"That's fine. You want to go back and help your family, right ?"

His surprised silence hinted that she was right, though she continued.

"I do not care about the countryside much. I could tolerate the sound."

"Yeah… we might need to be careful with Kana though."

Brief silence.

"What happened during your talk ?"

"I've decided to help Xander and the others with their peacetime efforts." He said. "I just wanted to warn you that I might need to leave as a result, from time to time."

"Then I might need to take care of Kana." She said. Can't just go on contracts with a baby in the house after all, and Beruka felt that gifting the child to another person would impact her behavior later.

_Good way to get her to escape my influence_. Thought the assassin, before shaking her head. No, she could do it. Her talk with Camilla gave her… well, the determination to go forward and attempt to raise the baby. Her issues were not quite done yet, but on her pride, she would not try to feel down about her coming motherhood.

"Yeah…" he said. "Well, maybe I could take you two with me." He said. "I don't want to be an absent father."

"Perhaps, but consider that things might turn…"

"Violent ? Doubt so, they never did for anyone until now."

At the very least, he wasn't getting anywhere close to Hoshido. If he was ever sent here, then Beruka would, and she swore it to the dusk dragon, burst down the gates leading to the throne room and interrogate the king on what exactly he was planning. She knew that such a thing was impossible, of course, and should really not be thinking about pointing weapons at her in-laws, but part of her genuinely thought that Corrin would secretly ask to try to "atone".

He was very much one to be carried by guilt after all. It drove him to spend a year in retirement, and it would perhaps drive him to try to bend over for the nation that hated him. They were perhaps right to do so, admitted Beruka, but no amounts of words or actions would satisfy them.

Perhaps he could try to go to Nestra or Cheve ?

"Hm. Right. If you find some free time, I might engage in contracts."

"Those are a little complicated."

"As promised, I shall only strive to kill evil persons."

Once again, that wasn't quite as simple as that. No one's just "evil" without a motive like the King's right-hand men. Luckily enough, some people hide these motives well enough for Beruka to slay them without upsetting Corrin.

"And, well, you're in danger during these, right ?"

"I only failed once, don't worry."

"Sure, sure. But… maybe not immediately after Kana's birth ? You'd be weakened and she'd need you for the first months."

"Of course. I will be there for our daughter… or boy."

It'd be a good opportunity to train again and get rid of any rust, too. However, Beruka never intended to give birth and then go off and assassinate somebody the next day. Part of her genuinely wanted to be there for her baby, and part of her also set out to prove herself wrong over her doubts. She _could_ be a good mother, here for her daughter and present for her through the fragile part of her life.

Now, taking contracts while being a mother might not be a wise idea, especially once Kana will get curious about their parents, but Beruka knew what she'd tell her once the time come, so she wasn't worried over that… yet. The full truth would need to come out, one day.

"Yeah, haha, we're all talking about Kana being a girl but what if he's a boy ? I hope they won't try to buy me some dresses or pink ribbons in advance. It'd be awkward."

"A dress could fit. The baby's unlikely to care."

He chuckled a little at it, though she did not respond.

"So what did you two talk about ?"

"The night when I tried to assassinate Camilla."

"Whoah… yeah. It's a pretty painful memory, isn't it ?"

"Yes. But Camilla bring it up as a reminder of my "evolution" of a sort. I failed to see her point through the years, but as of now, I do."

Corrin understood it. She was married to him after all, and had access to a wider range of emotions and even a child to care for, on top of developing a friendship of a sort with some people. Obviously, Beruka had become a much better person than before, though she still had trouble with emphasizing.

"Selena also came up."

"Was she sad over it ?"

"She mostly asked me, though she seemed at peace with the fact. I can only theorize that Selena and her parted ways a year ago, thus giving her the time to recover."

"Camilla always had an obsession with her. I think she said… that she'd cut her legs off if she were to try to leave."

"Lady Camilla has a specific sense of humor. You should know it."

"Well, I don't find that very funny."

"Yes. Jokes tend to be more light-hearted. Now. What about your talk ?"

"It went well. I'm going to try to get some more help for sure but I'm tired of just running away. I joined my siblings because I loved them and also because it was time for the country to change, after all, so now that I can finally impact it…"

She nodded, smiling briefly.

"Well, mission complete on that one !" completed Corrin. "Now… well, is there anything you'd like to do tomorrow ?"

"Not at the moment. Perhaps the night shall be on counsel." Answered Beruka. Corrin yawned in answer and stretched his arms.

"Yes, I'm going to hit the hay as they say."

"Hit the hay ?"

"Yes. It's an expression for when you sleep, I think." He said. "I don't really get it though, hay isn't very comfortable."

"Nor common around Nohr nowadays."

Corrin was exhausted enough to barely bother undressing, essentially taking his shoes or coat and going to sleep with his shirt and pants on, with Shadow Yato being close on a table. Beruka did the same, and proceeded to extinguish the nearby lights.

Corrin went to the right, facing the window and curtain whereas Beruka went to the left.

"Have a good sleep." Said Corrin.

"Sleep well." Was her answer.

...

The world was turning upside down, her ears where being attacked by a violent ringing, and she could feel something in throat, as if bile was struggling to get out.

The experience itself wasn't new to her. Beruka was almost immune to poison since she was exposed to it many, many, many times over during her short life, but yet, the surprise of being struck by this particular poison proved to be a surprise for the assassin, who attempted to roll out of bed and succeeded.

Grappling on the bed cover, Beruka got on her feet and noticed that Corrin was still sleeping peacefully, seemingly unaffected by any poison. He, too, was resistant to it thanks to his unique physiology and because of the numerous discreet attempts on his life during the war, but if a poison was violent enough to affect her, then there was no way for him to be so peaceful.

Was it in the food ? It couldn't be the case. They ate at the same time. Was she perhaps stung or infected in her sleep ? She thought of the baby immediately, and…

Her thoughts snapped back to clarity. Yes, she heard of those through the books. Nausea, a side-effect to her pregnancy. Not actually dangerous to her life, but irritating, and while Beruka had little regard for etiquette, she just knew that Corrin would get worried sick over it. And a ill-timed spike of pride convinced Beruka that it was best to deal with the problem herself instead of relying on her husband, who'd perhaps panic.

Trust was important. Trust was very important. But Beruka was one to, at times, fall back on old habits.

Dragging herself through the room, she unlocked the door and escaped the room, noticing that Castle Krakenburg's halls were dark. Still, she easily made her way over to the nearest kitchen, opting to grab a glass of water to attempt to ease it. Perhaps find a spot to vomit in, too.

Even when struggling with nausea, Beruka was not one to be loud, though. The young woman stumbled with more grace than the average Nohrian soldier walked, easily accessing the kitchen and grabbing herself a bottle of water. It would be courtesy to try to get a glass, too, but, succumbing to precipitation, she just grabbed the nearest table as hard as she could and drank the water, before barely refraining herself from shattering the bottle.

The water did surprisingly little to calm down her nausea though, and Beruka found herself yearning for another solution, though, soon, another problem appeared to her : namely, small footsteps.

She already imagined how it'd goes. The young maid would walk in the room, excepting to need some light cleaning, and would stumble upon a nauseous "ex"-assassin slash princess, which would cause her to scream or attempt to alert the castle. And, more than anything, Beruka truly wished not to be seen in such a position of weakness.

Summoning her willpower, the blue-haired young woman stood up and took on her best glare, hoping to quickly scare away any intruder. The person who appeared at the door, though, was not one so easily intimidated away by mere glares.

So far, the changes during their one-year absence were pretty small. A beard here, longer hair there, a fancy new addition to the ensemble… She could still easily tell who she was speaking too. But at least one former member of Corrin's army used all those months to get to work on their appearances, and it showed.

Her cotton hair had been changed to a much slicker hairstyle, with part of it falling past her neck. Half of it was pink, and the other half was blue. This made is much easier to see her heterochromic eyes, with one being green and the other being more of a pink-ish color. She also gained some glasses over the course of the year. Middle sized, rectangular glasses of a sort.

Her attire was different, starting with a puffy white vest with no sleeves, a black long-sleeved shirt and legging, with white strips going up her leg all the way to the hips. Her shoes were still high-heels though, meaning that she was positively towering over the smaller-than-average Beruka.

She was smiling, doing well at hiding her unusual teeth by concealing them. Still, she could see a brief twitch from time to time, on her right eye, or at the very corner of her mouth.

A sign, perhaps, that the monster that she used to know was still present. Never truly buried nor gone, no matter what civility she put on.

"Peri." Said Beruka.

"Oh, sharp eyes, Beruka." Said Peri, approaching. "You haven't changed much ! How wonderful !"

Oh no. Not a conversation. Not a conversation with Peri. Not a conversation as she was threatening to spill bile all over those fancy shoes that the killer acquired for herself.

"Yes… I need to go, now. We shall talk later."

"Aren't you a bit sick ?"

Beruka, who turned around, briefly straightened up before glancing backward, only now noticing that Peri was holding a wooden bucket, which she acquired.

"There's no shame in admitting weakness, Beruka. You'll have to get used to help from others as the baby grows."

"Wise advice." Said Beruka, acquiring the bucket. "Out of you."

Peri chuckled, joining her hands behind her back and taking a few steps backward. She was eerily calm and mature, but Beruka still observed her, resolving to sit down and put the bucket in front of herself.

"I understand your worries. And, to be honest, I'm glad that you're vocalizing them."

"Why so ?"

"Because it's an opportunity." Declared Peri. "To show how much I've changed. For you, who last saw me as a gratuitous killer, to witness my rebirth into a functioning member of society."

"How was such a feat achieved ?"

"Oh, it was simple. Lord Xander asked me to take some lessons with the men in white…"

Peri stopped and made a gesture with her finger, as if spinning something.

"The doctors. He wished to help me with my, erm, cavalier approach towards death. And did so by sending me to an hospice."

"Did you resist ?"

"A little bit."

She stared right into Beruka's eyes.

"I nearly broke out of my room about nine times."

"I figured."

"But as you can see, it worked on me. Gone is the Peri that you feared or sought to avoid ! Instead, I stand in her place, ready to go anew and make amends !"

"You didn't quite answer my question. How did the doctors help you ?"

"I'm touched about your interest in my post-war odyssey of a sort."

"Hrm."

"Oh, right, the sickness… oh, they got to the root of it. My mother and the servant…the servant… servant…"

The spinning gesture once more, and Peri's eyes grew "normal" again, after a second or two of staring into the air. While she was much saner than before, Beruka was perhaps more fearful than she had been in prior confrontations.

Not for herself though. Had it been just a few months ago, she would perhaps be confused but not scared. She was fearful for Kana, her child, who could get easily harmed if the woman was to perform a surprise attack.

Now, she wasn't one to attack allies… or so she said, but Peri still attacked Felicia during the course of the war (and was forbidden from ever getting close to her by Corrin) and was incredibly unstable. Excepting her to remember her little rules when she got into the zone was akin to believing oneself to be safe in the presence of a rampaging wyvern : likely to result in a short yet painful death.

"… Well, they helped me to figure it out."

"It seems closer to brainwashing to me."

Peri rolled her eyes, as if Beruka declared that the sky was red.

"No, not that ! Lord Xander wanted to help me ! It took a lot of time to make this possible but my condition is all on me and the doctors !"

"Congratulations."

"That way, Xander can show that even the worst of us can change !"

The prince was truly attached to that woman. Peri's casual disregard over her actions made her a diplomatic liability, and Beruka hoped that the King would realize that other countries would see the new Peri as a criminal who successfully evaded justice by virtue of pleading insanity.

It didn't help that she still called him "Xander". A holdover from her general refusal to uses honorifics.

"Anyway. I'm looking forward to meeting Corrin !"

"…. How… did you find me, by the way ?"

"Oh, I just heard you ! You're quiet, but because of your condition, I could hear you, and I fetched that bucket for you."

"What would you have done if I was simply seeking sustenance ?"

Peri stopped and stared at Beruka, somewhat irritated.

Beruka stared right back.

"BEUURRRRRGGHHHHHHHHHH !"

And promptly threw up within the bucket, allowing Peri to slip away, though she bothered to put her hand on Beruka's shoulder.

"See you tomorrow ! And congratulations on the baby !"

"Than-Beeuurrrrrgghhhhhhhh !"

Peri swiftly left the kitchen, and Beruka herself took care of the bucket, bothering to thoroughly clean it (and herself) and tossing it aside before going back to the room. Luckily, Corrin slept through the ordeal.

Beruka went to sleep thinking of the new Peri and, somewhere along the way, envisioned a "redeemed" Hans with glasses and a butler suit, serving up drinks to the royal family and acting chummy around Corrin.

The idea alone woke her up a second time before she went back to sleep, this time for the rest of the night.

….

**A/N : **I always saw Peri as kind of like medieval Harley Quinn, so what about medieval Harleen Quinzel ? It's still a weird idea but heh.

If I were to rewrite Conquest, I'd make Peri into a character who's still a psycho but is much more low-key about it, and attempt to act in an affable manner when out of combat. I adapted part of it here, though Peri's worse about keeping her façade here. She's genuinely trying, though.

Anyway, don't hesitate to review to tell me what you thought of it. I know that it's a big departure from the canon design !

See ya !


	10. Of tears and justice

Beruka observed the odd jelly on the bread, contemplating on its potential poisonous properties. She prepared to turn around to ask Corrin, but he was currently in the process of carefully layering one food over another, as if he was attempting to make a digestible tower of a sort.

The assassin, as a result, simply ate the jelly quietly, contemplating her other culinary options.

"Ho wow ! You're both hungry !"

"Well. I want to train." Said Corrin. "So I better be full of energy, right ?"

"Hrm."

Elise giggled at their reactions but quickly attempted to correct herself, laughing in a more dignified manner.

The rest of the royal family was fairly busy with the paperwork needed to run a kingdom, and elected to reunite later. Corrin himself would apparently need to help with it soon, with his decision to help the royal family. Something that he was "looking forward to !", though she knew that her husband would look forward to any manner of boring activity if done to please someone close to him.

The youngest princess was, however, still spared from such activities, and opted to partake in breakfast with her adoptive brother and in-law. This meant that the young girl stood in a corner of her table, delicately eating food and observing as the other twos proceeded to take everything within the table, though Corrin's pace outpaced Beruka's.

"Oh, you want to train ?"

"Yep. I didn't quite slack off during the year but I want to get back whatever strength I've lost."

"But there won't be any future conflicts, right ?" Asked Elise.

"Maybe not." He admitted. "But I want to have the strength to defend my family, and beside, it's never wise to just let your skills waste away."

Elise cooed at the mention of family, but Beruka nodded sagely.

"A wise idea."

Part of her wished that she could get back to her own training though. While she trusted Corrin to protect her, her pride once again reclaimed that she be able to defend herself, and not cower behind the prince like a weak individual. The former assassin would not become some incapable housewife incapable of defending herself, quite the opposite in fact !

"And what are you going to do, Beruka ?"

"Perhaps accompany you, if you do not mind."

Corrin approved with a fast nod, and Elise herself, after the initial surprise, reacted to the news with a smile.

"Ohhh, great ! We'll… oh, sorry. I meant. Yes. I do accept your proposal, Lady Beruka."

"It's just us three, don't worry about the etiquette !" encouraged Corrin. He was half-right, since guards stood outside of their room, ready to barge in and slay whoever would dare to intrude upon the royals, but she understood him.

Beruka was perhaps glad over Elise's approval, though her intention was not to merely accompany her. The young girl was similar to the blue-haired prince, in terms of being optimistic in a country like Nohr, but to be quite honest, she lacked his physical strength, hidden edge or other qualities. It was doubtful that the assassin would ever be truly friends with the princess, though at the same time, she didn't quite dislike her.

"What will you be doing today then ?"

"Well. There's going to be a lot of teaching about how to be a proper princess, and you might find that … not really fun. Buuuuttt, afterward, I'm going to go ahead and visit both Arthur and Effie !"

Yes. Exactly what she wanted.

"Oh, they're here ?"

"They've got a house nearby ! Arthur's back from a mission so I thought it'd be nice to meet him !"

"And thus, I shall escort you there."

Truth to be told, Beruka was curious, and desired to perhaps seek guidance by listening to an actual mother with a few months of experience under her belt. Part of her was also seeking to see if other retainers changed as much as Peri did, or were at the very least aware of her dramatic change.

Peri's drastically different behavior and appearance and her need to seek out Effie for guidance convinced Beruka that she entered a different dimension of a sort or that her encounter with the serial killer was a dream cooked up by a dark corner of her mind at a time of confusion.

"Yay ! Bonding time ! But what are you going to do while I'm busy ?"

"I'll see."

…

Corrin stood in front of the Krakenburg training ground, a massive circular platform of a sort, accessible through several stairs, dangling above the abyss. It was at quite a high altitude, to the point where violent winds made it difficult for flying units to really move around casually. A massive dragon statue stood in the middle of it, easily the size of a building.

Looking down, Corrin noticed that part of the castles were below the platform, meaning that one could easily fall to their doom by accident, though luckily, some rails were added to the stairs and the platform itself, preventing anyone from unluckily falling to their death.

The prince thought a little about the eccentric architect paid to take those projects, and advanced upon the platform. Several Nohrians were training near the statues, gathered in groups. Fighters or beginner Dark Mages were on two different sides, with some nearby maids to heal them whenever the prop weapons or weak tomes managed to somehow cause damage.

Higher-ranked soldiers, such as Generals or Heroes, were directly under the supervision of Tello, a new promotion from a year ago apparently. Unlike Hans, who was (to Corrin's immmeennssse surprise) brutal and bloodthirsty even during trainings, Tello was worthy of his new title as general, being harsh yet ultimately fair to them. He, apparently, was part of the army that agreed with Corrin's actions over the course of the war, using his influence to try to steer his men into acting like actual warriors in battle, and not bloodthirsty thugs.

"Hello, general Tello !"

"PRINCE CORRIN ! Sorry. Prince Corrin !" said Tello. He was a rather large man, with a thick beard. His apparently gnarly scars were hidden beside said beard, though a few were visible on his bald head. He was clad in the uniform of a Hero, though his had a few more decorations and his shield was larger than most.

"Keep working !" He said to his men, before facing the prince. "It is a pleasure to see you back in Krakenburg, Lord Corrin."

"I see that you're doing well." Answered Corrin. "I'm sorry if this sound too forward, but I wish to train again. May I join the rest of the army ?"

"W-well…" said Tello. "Why would you need to train, my liege ? You've slain the previous general before unlocking the full form of the sword of legend, correct ?"

"That was before I spent a year away from fighting." Said Corrin. "And you're much stronger than Hans ever was."

"Agreed." Was the general answer. "Well, luckily for you, someone else is sparing with us and she's being… an handful."

"Who could that be ?"

Tello stepped back and pointed at a light commotion of a sort, causing Corrin's eyes to widen in surprise.

There, amongst a masse of stunned mercenaries, stood Peri, wooden sword in hand. Even in the middle of a fight, she remained amazingly composed, though her right hand was clenched tightly.

"Come on now. Don't be scared." She goaded, with an inviting gesture of her sword. Corrin nodded at Tello and opted to approach her. If it weren't for her unique hair color, he would've likely been unable to identify her.

"Oh, Corrin ! Greetings be upon you !" Said Peri. The mercenaries looked upon the prince almost pleadingly.

"Hey, Peri. You've… changed for the better."

"A wise observation ! But these mean-those poor soldiers still distrust me ! Would you care to spare with me ? I know of your achievements, but be aware that I did not slack off !"

Corrin nodded, cruising through the bizarre situation, and nearly drew Shadow Yato. Peri coughed loudly, causing the prince to realize what he was doing and just accept a wooden sword, a gift from a nearby soldier.

They gathered in a circle around the fighters and both held up their swords, before leaping into combat.

…

Beruka, meanwhile, found herself in a library room of a sort, Selena's book in hand, having packed it in the pocket of her enormous coat before her departure. True to form, little of it was new to her, and she almost knew what a page would be about before even turning it.

Still, she could appreciate it. None of the other books quite appealed to her, since Beruka knew her Nohrian history or felt that she couldn't finish them in time before Elise's arrival. And Beruka was always one to enjoy finishing things in one go. She could prepare and await the opportunity, but whenever she had to, she just couldn't bring herself to complete it only after a second attempt.

A natural habit from one such as herself perhaps. Beruka did eventually put down the book and observed it, attempting to see if there was a hidden message or letter, though she knew that she was pointless, having long explored the book to discover such hidden message. And while Selena knew her well, Beruka always knew where to find the smallest details.

Then, she noticed it. Someone was behind her, quietly attempting to sneak up on her. However, while the target was seemingly tip-toeing in a vain attempt to stay sneaky, Beruka could hear the slight sound of fabric dragging across the floor. Or the creaking of the floor, or see the way her nearest reading neighbors chose to look at something behind her, or even feel the vibrations in the air.

Beruka could perhaps turn around, but the people's gazes were not frightful or worried, and the person behind her seemed to be of small stature. Guessing who it was, the assassin simply allowed Elise to "surprise attack" her.

"Gotcha." Whispered a giggling Elise. Beruka knew that she should be amused, but felt it hard to do so, like how a professional might be frustrated with a beginner.

"Your sneaking skills are… commendable."

"Nice !" She yelled, before realizing that she was in a library, prompting her to quiet down. A few would find it endearing, but truth to be told, the assassin was more irritated than anything.

"I take it that your studies have been accomplished."

"Indeed. It was kind of boring though… but it's fine, because I've got something nice to show you down in the castle !"

"Elaborate."

"Nooo, surprises are at their best when they don't get spoiled ! Come on now !"

Sighing, Beruka packed her book and followed her.

…

The "True Nohr" was not a surprise, but Beruka acted as if it were one, quietly listening to Elisa as she talked about it in terms that she heard before, hands behind her back.

The place looked happier with the permanent departure of Garon, and Beruka saw some guards lazily drinking away their evening. Then again, she was merely seeing the place from a different angle, having visited it before for some contracts. Luckily enough, she was careful to hide her face when doing so, out of habit, so she wasn't excepting to be recognized anytime soon.

Elise was absolutely _eager_ to make a friend out of Beruka. She took her to the best shops, talked about the history of the place like how an historian would (with ridiculously precise facts) and constantly turned around to ask…

"Hey ! I hope you're not being bored !"

And she'd reply, each time.

"No."

Now, in fairness, Beruka was trying to be interested herself, but the constant pour of people in the "streets" didn't do too much wonder to her, and the assassin knew the place well. There was nothing to really discover for her, and thus, she couldn't actually use her nascent curiosity to attempt to be interested.

Sure, one year passed (and more : The war with Hoshido lasted for months), but Beruka didn't really feel like it changed. The people were just less afraid of getting caught by the forces of the King, and were somewhat more careless as a result. More than once, the duo was forced to witness scenes like a drunken man accidentally throwing himself into the water, another drunken man attempting to perform a rescue, and a third man, of large size, pull them out of the water casually.

"So, how do you like the place ?"

"It is quite… peculiar, perhaps."

"Yeah, for sure ! But don't worry, we're about to reach Effie and Arthur's house !"

"Why would they not live in Windmire ?"

"I think they prefer. Arthur's popular down there, you know ? And I got to say, I really appreciate ! It's hard to walk around in Windmire without being surrounded by guards, but here, I'm free !"

Beruka glanced at key individuals gathered around them, not so subtly keeping an eye on the duo. She could tell that they were not mere bandits, too. Too clean and well shaved to be really like that. Nohrian outlaws were all pretty flamboyant and dirty, after all.

"Yes. Does Corrin know of it ?" She whispered, uninterested in the subject.

"Yeah but he could never really visit. He always had something in his mind or something to do, or he was busy with the war effort." Pouted Elise.

The princess waited until they were close to the house to confess, since by that point, fewer people were gathered. The houses themselves were pretty small, with a door and at most five rooms. They were more akin to underground apartments, and Beruka could only hope that Corrin wouldn't be convinced to reside here, mostly because the place was full of people, and the glorified apartments were easy to broke into.

She had experience with that.

Upon reaching a pink door of a sort, Elise coughed politely and knocked, only entering after being allowed to. Beruka followed suit, closing the door behind her out of habit and finally glancing at her former fellow retainer.

Effie didn't change too much, though she was slimmer than excepted. She had longer hair than before, and she seemed a bit more awake and aware, perhaps. There was nothing much to report.

About _her_, that is. Not to the baby in her arms, in the process of being entertained by Elise.

"Hey Effie ! Hey Puuurrrccyyyy !"

The baby giggled in answer, and Beruka stared at it in confusion. It was pretty small in her muscular arms, and wore a red-and-blue pyjama of a sort, with the Nohrian emblem sewed on top of it. Whatever patch of hair he had on indicated that he'd inherit his mother's particular hair color, and even from a distance, Beruka could tell that he had bright blue eyes, akin to his father.

Said father was in the living room, picking up the shattered remains of a mug. He didn't change much, though he had something of a wiser look. Perhaps because of his child ? His bad luck was still present, though.

Their place was nice. Decorated with plenty of gifts from people grateful at Arthur, some souvenirs from the war, medals and the likes. Effie's armor laid in a corner of the room, still well taken care of apparently. No sight of their weaponry, but it was perhaps the right choice.

The only mystery was the presence of a door near the living room.

"Haa ! Beruka ! It has been a while since our paths crossed ! I do hope that the year has been kind to an ally of justice !"

Arthur awkwardly put the broken remains of the mug in a larger cup and stepped over to the former assassin.

"Greetings, Arthur. Effie." She declared. "The year has been… most kind, yes."

"You're excepting a baby, I heard ?" finally said Effie.

"Yeah ! A baby dragon ! Imagine that !" continued Elise.

"Euweh." Concluded Percy, as he attempted to shove his fist in his mouth.

"How excellent ! But come now ! Let us sit !" proposed Arthur, grabbing some wooden chair. Elise sat down promptly but Beruka waited a little, excepting the chair to randomly snap. Luckily enough, the one that did was Arthur's, though he didn't seem to mind, quietly sitting down on the floor after clearing the debris.

"Pardon me for being… inquisitive, but could you go into more details ?"

"Why ?" almost replied Beruka. However, she remembered that she was supposed to socialize, and shifted in her seat.

"We retreated into the countryside. We lived a quiet life in isolation, but Corrin decided to return to the capital to help his siblings with their peacetime effort. I followed him."

"Ha ! Well, do inform him on our behalf that he shall always be welcomed in our household !"

Beruka nodded. Elise was a bit more neutral, perhaps because the assassin wasn't offering too much details on herself ?

"How did he react about the fatherhood ? Surely, a friend as passionate as him perhaps took you in his arms and lifted you…"

"He fainted, teehee !" said Elise. Beruka simply nodded.

"And how did you react ?" asked the wyvern rider.

"Well, I did as described ! And then I fainted."

"I had my weighted clothing on when we realized it… poor Arthur."

"Hahaha ! I hope that Percy's going to have the very opposite of your rotten luck, Arthur !"

"Hm. It is amusing. Effie. I must ask you : How did you…"

Elise's smile grew wider, and Beruka realized that she mistimed her approach. Luckily, Effie smiled quietly, and rocked the baby, who was grasping Arthur's finger with all his might.

"Well. How early is your pregnancy ?"

"I can no longer wear my armor nor train, but the specialist told us the truth about… 3 months ago."

"Ohh… well, there'll be some nausea. So be careful on that one."

"I recommend carrying a bucket. I am aware that you might not like it, but it will help you !" said Arthur.

"Ewww, vomit bucket !"

"Some back pain, also. And insomnia…"

Oh.

Beruka calmly wrote them down in her mind. She experienced the first part, but saw no interest in announcing it to her current audience.

"Hip pain, too… hmmm, just a whole lot of things."

"How descriptive." She said, though she put on a smile to make it look like a joke. Luckily, they seemed to fall for it.

"I worry about Corrin ! There is not much that we excepting fathers can do about those symptoms, beside support our wives !"

"I shall handle it." She declared. "But how about the baby ? How could I take care of one ?"

"…"

Effie's smile grew a bit wider, but remained calm.

"Oh, sorry… it's just weird to hear you talk like this, about babies…"

"Yes. I'm surprised myself." Replied Beruka. Almost everyone felt like pointing out the obvious, when she was seeking the not-so-obvious, why was it ?

"Our dearest little one is still quite needy. He, erm, cry a lot in the middle of the night !"

"Or in the day."

"Yeah !" agreed Elise. "Babies will mess up your sleep ! And it's quite hard to tell why they're crying, too ! Well, from what Cassita told me."

"There is perhaps one instance where the source of the baby's tears is quite easy to figure out, however !"

Beruka coughed.

"Apologies ! But do not see this as a bother. I truly appreciate having a son to take care of, and I knew that he'd need our guidance and help early on. Why, I appreciate seeing him as he is right now, because one day, a proud man and agent of justice will stand in front of me, and I shall weep, for our efforts will have resulted in the creation of such a hero !"

"Oh, there's just something wonderful about creating life. And… well, I can't tell it as well as Arthur but he's right."

They all looked down upon Percy, who was in the middle of waving his hands at nothing in particular.

"And he's so cute !"

"Oh, can I hold him ? Pretty please ?" said Elise. Effie hesitated a little but, with unusual softness and delicacy, handed the child over. And while Percy was confused at first, he soon grew calm again when he found himself in the princess's arms.

"Oooooh, hullo purcy !" she said, tickling his belly. "It's auntie Elise !"

"I doubt of the baby's ability to understand your words."

"Awww lookie he's grabbing my finger and smiling !"

Effie carefully watched over her son, but Arthur, while he looked from time to time, chose to prevent Beruka from being ignored.

"So, where do you reside right now ?"

"In the castle, but we'll find a house."

"Hmm, there are quite a few houses close to the castle at Windmire ! Why, we even live in one !"

"… Ha, the door."

"Quite correct ! This is an underground apartment of a sort, to see Lady Elise, to engage in conversation with civilians or to buy things ! Our house on the surface is larger, and I still find myself patrolling the streets from time to time. Thugs are still present, after all !"

"Most wise, Arthur. We'll try to find one…"

"Hey, Beruka, your turn !"

Elise didn't just hold the baby over to her, but she did look at the former retainer with insistence. Beruka leaned over and carefully grabbed and held Percy.

There was something bizarre about the softness and fragility of the baby. An overwhelming feeling that the slightest movement would break him or that he was so fragile that a mere gust of wind would send him flying over to the horizon. A ridiculous fear, she knew, but no amount of justifications or rational explanations could distract her mind from the bizarre dread that she was feeling.

The baby looked at her and stopped smiling, as his lips began to quiver. His face scrunched up, and the beginning of a plaintive cry started to be heard, causing Elise to try to step in.

"Huuh, introduce yourself in a funny manner, Beruka !"

Beruka hesitated and then leaned in closely, to the point where all he'd see would be her face and emotionless eyes.

"Percy."

A full-blown crying ensued, and Beruka drew back, calmly handing the infant over to her mother. Both Effie and Arthur weren't upset, but seemed confused, along with Elise. This annoyed Beruka, who was not one to really "fail" a thing.

"… I should be leaving. There is something that I seek to do."

"O-oh, then I'm leaving too ! Sorry, Arthur, Effie !"

"It's nothing ! You may come in again anytime, and perhaps invite Corrin over to do so ! Huhh, just don't come in when we're asleep, or absent, or…"

"We hope to see you again." Said Effie. The two women left the apartment, and soon, the doors closed. Scarily enough, they could still hear the baby's cries.

"… Well, that was a unique experience ! But don't worry about it, Beruka !"

"I do not. Let us depart."

Why was it that doubt seemed to strike her whenever she gained confidence ? She was not afraid of the pregnancy "complications". Unpleasant, but inevitable, and she handled worse.

But that fear that she felt… was it one that would plague her all her life ? Did Percy cry because of an unknown factor or was he scared ? Would she discover, too late, that she lacked the maternal instinct to really raise a child ?

"Are you sure ?"

"Yes."

….

**A/N : **I don't ship Arthur and Effie too much, but I do like them both ! They're fun and pretty useful units, especially Effie !

Percy might show up later in the fic, but for now, here's a confirmation that there won't be any deeprealms oddities in the fic, to avoid the unfortunate implications. "My Castle" exist, but under a different form. Corrin refused to settle here because he couldn't stomach the thought of looking at Lilith's shrine everyday, and couldn't bring himself to just put it away or outright demolish it. Beruka didn't really understand but agreed.

Peri's return ! Who will win between her and Corrin ? We'll find out soon !

Don't forget to leave reviews ! They're well appreciated !


	11. Of scars and scares

A sword clashed against the other, and if it weren't for the fact that those were mere props, surely the impact would've triggered sparks.

The two blades pressed against one another, attempting to overpower the other, but eventually, Peri broke off, aware that her strength was unlikely to match Corrin's enhanced power. She did immediately leap back into the fray though, stabbing several times over and over at him.

Corrin started to dodge the attack, his eyes looking for an occasion to ripost. Peri's stabs were wild and unpredictable though, meaning that the fighter was struggling to find an opportunity to fight back. At the same time, she was slowly backing him towards the mercenaries, preventing him from just walking backward until he could find something to use.

However, perhaps foolishly, Peri drew back and lunged forward. Seeing an opportunity, Corrin blocked the stab with his own sword and swung it, breaking Peri's footing and forcing her to step backward a few times. This gave Corrin more than enough time to lunge forward and lightly hit her stomach with the very tip of his sword.

"There !"

The mercenaries emitted a "oooo !" sound, and Peri proceeded to put her hand directly on her stomach, letting out a false pained gasp. Corrin, meanwhile, smiled, though he was feeling more winded by the effort than he should have been. Still, the prince managed to easily wipe away whatever sweat he accumulated.

Then, a familiar pain began to make itself known, as if awoken, and soon, the prince was forced to put his hand on his side as well, though he tried to make it look like he was just dusting himself off there.

"Hehehe, that was f… apologies. This was amusing, Corrin."

"Yeah. You're as skilled as Xander said." Answered the prince. His side began to burn, but he did an admirable job at hiding the pain away, though he knew that it'd be unwise to continue the conversation in his state. Putting the sword away, the young man turned around and waved away.

"I'll be going now. See you !"

"Oh ! Could I accompany you ? There's much that I want to tell you about !"

"No, it's fine. I'm going to… do boring stuff ! You wouldn't want to come !"

"A-alright. But could we talk later ?

"Of course ! Maybe in the evening !"

"Sure ! Erm, have fun with your boring stuff !"

…

Corrin has been used to pain, of all kind. He has been struck by everything, from scrolls to sword and was subjected to sights the likes of which would horrify any older soldier into stunned silence.

But still, even he struggled to hold back the pain he was currently feeling, attempting to hold back his pained tears or gasps beneath a nonchalant façade. It was perhaps stupid, but he felt like throwing the castle into a panic would prove detrimental. And beside, he hated it whenever people were forced to put things aside for him, so the young man was just going to get a vulnerary and, perhaps, see a medical professional afterwards.

His ribs felt like they were getting taken apart by a hammer. His flesh felt like it was coiling and twisting while being stabbed at every turn by knives. Every step felt like he was being set on fire and he honestly felt scared whenever he had to take another, wondering just what kind of new description he'd have to use to describe the torment he was going through.

He felt like sitting down, but realized that the pain was already unbearable enough, thus, he continued. He only allowed himself to run upon noticing that he was alone, allowing him to open the door to his room and close it behind him, sighing before laughing a little to himself, though he stopped as soon as he noticed that he wasn't the only person in the room.

Both Elise and Beruka were staring back at him, in surprise. Beruka was the first to get up though, aware of what exactly was happening, and helped him up.

"Elise. Please, fetch a staff."

"W-wait, what's going on ? Why is he…"

"Questions for later. Make haste !" Said the wyvern rider, with as much authority as possible. Elise nodded and escaped the room, allowing Beruka to put him on a chair.

"What happened ?" she asked, with an edge to her voice.

"No no no, it's… my fault. The… scar."

Beruka's eyes slightly widened. Yes, that scar.

"… I'll grab a vulnerary."

Truth to be told, Beruka was at something of a loss. It's been months since it acted up, at the beginning of the year, but ever since then, it's been pretty quiet. It was an ugly and permanent reminder of the war of course, and Corrin was insistent on hiding it (to the point where he was wearing armor in bed for a while) but the couple eventually adopted something of a out of sight, out of mind approach to it, except when changing, which is why they either looked away or went to other rooms.

True, the scar might have been awoken by the stress of training, since it was pretty big, but the less rational parts of their minds saw the advent of the scar as some kind of attempt on his life by a supernatural force or a warning from said force, impossible as it was.

But then again, the idea that Takumi could emerge out of nowhere, alive and well in spite of his spiteful suicide, and possessing immense power, was also impossible. And yet…

Luckily, Elise ran back in, staff in hand. There were more healers too, though she hoped that they had more than just Heal. Elise promptly casted it though, and it seemed to work, going by Corrin's relief and straighter posture.

"Thank you for your help." Said Beruka. "We shall discuss this later."

Corrin nearly interfered, but chose not to in the end, perhaps aware that he couldn't tell them that there was nothing wrong.

"I only require that you leave us alone. We must discuss this in private."

"Well, I… I understand, Beruka, but we can't just leave it be. Something is happening to my brother and I'd hate not to know it."

"You'll be the first to know."

"It's okay, Elise. We'll be fine."

She pouted slightly but ultimately agreed, walking out of the room. The servants seemed unbothered, quietly listening and leaving the room without saying anything. Beruka closed the door and quietly locked it before walking up to Corrin. While he was fine now, he seemed reluctant to sit up.

"I'm going to look at the scar."

Reluctantly, Corrin pulled his shirt up, and Beruka glanced down at it.

There was always something unnatural about it. She saw many, many injuries caused by arrows over the years, be it on her or her wyvern, or plenty of cadavers. And while she knew that Takumi's arrows were special, easily demolishing steel and stone, the wound left on the young man's body was bizarre, looking like a star with about eight points on it.

The young man cringed at the sight of it, and even Beruka winced slightly at it. The arrow did fell him in one swoop, after all, great knight armor be damned, and served as a reminder of what Takumi did to him (and, perhaps to Corrin, a reminder of just what he's done to Takumi). Consulting a white mage (rare as they were in pre-Xander Nohr) didn't do much. The scar's pain could be whisked away by magic, but it was permanent in itself.

She knew that it would have an impact on Corrin's battle performance, though the rest of the world didn't know about it.

"I was training and it.."

"Yes. It must have opened during your fight." She said, pulling it down. "You should've been aware of it, but so should I. I'm sorry."

Truth to be told, she was angered a little. Over Corrin's insistence to fight, first, but also because she outright forgot it and was caught up in her own woes. She wondered if the scar was hit as well. Agile as he was, surely her husband must have lost some of his amazing agility after spending a year in peace, and several months in armor, though she knew that he did try to do some light training to keep the pace.

"It's on me mostly." He declared. "I should've been more aware of it."

She quietly agreed, which he seemed to accept.

"Most of my other scars are gone, too. But this one's just always present."

Beruka sat down and began to think a little about their problem. Obviously, the siblings were going to know about it, and obviously, they'd need to find a way to deal with it. The white mages outside couldn't deal with it, but surely there would be a spell that could deal with such an injury in the castle, right ?

"… Oh, I met Peri on the way."

"Has she done anything to you ?" asked Beruka, getting up immediately and searching for an object to use against the serial killer.

"Wait wait ! She did train with me but she didn't hit me. She was just there and I was confused over her new mannerisms and appearance. I hoped to ask her later but I think that I went at it too hard.

Beruka slowly sat back down, though she was back to glaring at nothing in particular. This prompted Corrin to try to put his hand on her and, while she glanced down, she did nothing to take her hand away.

"She did nothing wrong… in the last two days."

"She should be in prison." Answered Beruka.

"A lot of us should." He answered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I… I understand what you mean. I think that Xander is making a mistake of a sort."

"Indeed."

"But it's good, it can demonstrate that Nohrians can change. You know, she didn't really go crazy during the sparing, right ?"

"Thank the gods that Peri was able to keep her sanity for at least one sparing session." Was her dry reply.

He seemed to disagree, but couldn't mount a convincing argument. He always seemed very uncomfortable around her, but was too kind to really say it. Niles, not one to hold back, once asked him why he'd be romantically involved with an assassin but would push back a serial killer, and Corrin's reply was mostly that Beruka was mature, listened to other people, knew who to attack and why, could perhaps escape her life as an assassin and was much more stable than Peri.

It's not that he hated Peri. He pitied her more like it. And unlike Hans, she at least showed an ability to get better.

"… How was the trip with Elise ?" he asked.

"Decent. She took me down to the subterranean city."

"Yeah, that one !" said Corrin, snapping his finger. "I wish I could've went there, but I was always a little too busy with the war !"

Beruka shifted in her seat, anticipating a new trip to the true Nohr, as they called it.

"Perhaps I could take you down there."

She knew how to access it. Not just thanks to Elise's path (which she knew about from the start, since she learned it from Camilla) but also because she visited it quite a lot.

"That's a great idea ! You could guide me there !"

"I'm not a good guide. Elise knows more people than I do."

"It's okay. We can try to take her along, since she has to be pretty sad about the… scar story." He said. "Or we could just visit it together if you feel like it. We've been dealing with some stressful situations lately and it could help if we just had a walk around them. I know that it's not exactly a romantic place though…" He said.

She remained calm, but smirked ever so slightly.

"Hm… Arthur and Effie "live" down there, perhaps you could meet with them."

"I'd love to." He replied, though she remained silent at that.

"Are you alright ?"

Beruka quietly scanned around the room and leant forward.

"Kana. Are you… concerned about raising the baby ?"

"Yeah…" he admitted. "Honestly, I feel like I should put my life in order before her birth, so that's why I thank you for the letter. I'm a bit scared, I'll admit. I… I don't really remember my earlier years, even after all this time."

Beruka quietly nodded.

"So I don't have anyone around who could tell me, well, except Arthur !"

"Understandable."

"I mean, my siblings have been around ever since I was a kid, but Gunter took care of me… maybe I could ask him to help."

"If he's still alive."

He looked at her in shock and Beruka held her hands up. Right, she'd need to get better jokes. For some reason, she never seemed to get "good" ones.

"Beruka !"

"I was… jesting."

"R-right." He said. "I think he's retired, and maybe not even in Windmire… would've been convenient."

"I'm sure that you would do well. You'd need, perhaps, to be firm at times, but I know that you would care greatly for the child." She declares. "Yes, you will perhaps fumble or require aid, but in the end, you will be a wonderful father."

Beruka smiled a little, and he looked somewhat surprised, then, quickly, glad, and struggling for words. Briefly, she considered the effect that Garon and his goons had on him, what's with his sheer joy whenever he was complimented.

"Thank you, Beruka." He replied. "I wish I could say something more but… Well, I know that you probably feel the opposite, but I think that you have what it take to be a wonderful mother."

"How so ?"

"Well, you've got the firm touch needed, you know a lot of things too. And I'm sure that you won't have any trouble with developing a bond with the child." He replied. "We kind of complement each other, see ?"

She smiled a little, and tried to forget the question in her mind.

"_And what if one of us dies ?_".

"Thank you, Corrin."

They kissed one more time and then turned to look at the door inquisitively. When no one turned up, they kissed a second time before getting up.

"Let's look for Elise."

"Very well."

Resolving to leave at the same time, the couple stepped forth to the door and swung it open. To their surprise, though, the new Peri was standing in front of it, hands crossed behind her back.

"Ho ! Hello ! Now, don't worry, I just got here. I was not… listening."

"It's fine, Peri. What are you doing here ?"

"Well, you weren't looking well and Lady Elise left all worried so…"

"Could you tell us where she is ?" said Beruka.

"I could even escort you there !"

Beruka prepared to offer an excuse and move along but Corrin, perhaps feeling generous, nodded.

"Well… of course, if you wish to help."

He glanced at Beruka, and she glanced back.

"Yaayy ! Oh, apologies… excellent ! Follow me !"

Beruka closed the door and they went their merry way, hoping that Peri would not cause a scene or mislead them out of fun.

**A/N : **Corrin's scar is shaped after Valla's emblem. Spooooky.

Short chapter but it's for the fluff, and it does set up a new trip to the underground Nohr and reveal the reason why Corrin has his armor on when he can.

As usual, reviews and critics are appreciated !


	12. Of creepy houses and maids

Peri seemed to be… fine, so far. She was unwittingly putting herself between the couple at first, but eventually realized that since they were following her, then she should step forward instead of keeping the pace with them.

"So ! Where have you two been for the year ?"

"To the countryside."

"Ha ! Sorry for not coming to see you, I was a bit busy at the… asylum ? It's the name for the new kind of place that I went to."

"It's alright, we haven't been seeing much people ! Everyone's a little busy after the war, you know ?"

"Yes, I'm sure they are." Replied Beruka.

"Well, it does make sense. People come and go, Charlotte and Benny are back at the wall, for instance !"

Corrin saw an opportunity to perhaps ask her where the other retainers had been, excluding those they've seen already. Why, perhaps she knew where more unusual members of the army went to !

"Interesting ! What about Nyx ?"

"Nyx ? Oh, you know her. She just left after the war, though I think that she's visiting Hoshido now that there's no spooky barrier to brainwash us !"

"… Keaton ?"

"I think he just went home again. He left me some bones as a souvenir but, erm, they remind me of my worse days so I just hide them."

Corrin glanced at Beruka and decided to go forward with his question, wondering how she'd react to it.

"Felicia ?"

"She's working at a nearby house in Windmire. Mine, actually !"

"You've got a hou-ohh, wonderful !"

The blue-haired woman peered at them and sighed, leaning forward and putting her hand on her forehead. For a moment or two, Beruka thought that she was going to leap at them, but nothing came out of it. Perhaps she was ashamed at herself, or merely annoyed.

"Why, my family is pretty rich. And I thought that I could hire her to show that I'm a better person. I did try to... slay her."

"Yeah. But… well, how did she react ?"

"She reacted.. well, she was panicky at first but we're friends now. And she's not so clumsy anymore ! Nice girl !"

"Could we see her ?" proposed Corrin. "It's been a while and I want to reconnect with everyone I know."

"Of course ! I could bring you right there after we meet Elise ! Believe me, she's super good with her stu… her work, now ! I know that this is a creepy offer but, believe me, I'm fine now. There's no hidden cave or anything. It's quite a pretty house in fact !"

"We have a schedule for tonight. Thank you."

Peri pouted a little, and Corrin apparently seemed to fall bad about it, going by his attempted reassurance.

"Maybe we could go there though. If Arthur and Effie are busy…"

Beruka almost chose to hit him in the arm, but opted not to. Peri, meanwhile, smiled brightly, clapping her hands and giggling just a little, though she attempted to put on a more polite laugh.

"Would ya agree, Beruka ? Oh, apologies, I mean, you, Lady Beruka."

"… Perhaps." She said. She never visited Peri's house, but that's simply because it'd be like visiting some wild animal's home : dangerous and likely to result in an impromptu attack. She didn't trust Peri not to accidentally lose her cool, but knew that Corrin was likely going to visit the manor.

He'd say that it's a gesture of appreciation for the knight's efforts and a demonstration of their desire to forge a new path ahead together etc but she knew that he wanted to check on Felicia. The killer was particularly vicious towards servants after all, since Beruka understood that those were responsible of the trauma that started it all, so the maid was always in danger around the vicious Nohrian.

To his credit, Corrin made some efforts to prevent her from getting close to the Ice Tribes native, and quietly asked Laslow and Xander to keep a tight leash on her. The fact that he was trusting her that much showed some real, genuine appreciation for her new condition.

"You're still as serious as ever ! But I can appreciate that. You've always been a very decisive woman."

"Yes, hesitant assassins do not make it far."

"You're still working on that ? The contracts and all that paperwork ?"

Corrin coughed and pulled a little on his collar, but Beruka opted to continue the conversation. If Peri was attempting to somehow call her out, then the assassin would be able to easily dismiss her.

"Not now. But later… perhaps."

"Oh, you're going to leave the baby alone ?"

"No. I shall only do so when Kana is being taken care of, be it by my husband or _closed friends_."

Not so subtle glance at her. Corrin, meanwhile, looked worried, though he refrained himself from talking about it in the open.

He didn't want to be absent with Kana, or wanted her to grow up alone after all. It took a lot of convincing to really get him to accept the idea that she'd be back to work, but they'd need to work on schedule and would be, at least, forced to put aside work to focus on the baby.

To simply dump the baby somewhere and let strangers take care of them would be gross irresponsibility, and is something that they both agreed would never happen.

"Are you doing to do it after she's born ?"

She was getting a bit irritated with the same questions, though she knew that not everyone could grow aware of their plans. Perhaps she should just write their baby-related plot down and show it to whoever would ask questions ? A good idea to elaborate on.

"No. First, there shall be months, of course."

"Yeah. And hopefully, I'll be there to help !" Intervened Corrin.

"Why wouldn't you be ?"

"Well, maybe I'll try to help Xander and all with their measures. And that means going into other places, you know ? And it'd be hard to just ferry the baby through the country. Stress for it and the family."

They were climbing the stairs, and Beruka glanced on a window to notice the rest of the castle, with wyvern riders flying by, either leaving the castle or entering it after long days of flight. Nostalgia was new to her, but yet, part of her wished that she could fly again. She never truly felt any wonder flying (after all, a brief lack of attention led to a stupid, messy death) but she was perhaps… used to it, after a while, and found herself missing the sky.

Even Corrin looked at them, before pointing the wyverns out.

"Remember when you taught me to fly ?"

"You mean when I helped you become a wyvern rider."

The prince pouted.

"Yeah… it was fun, wasn't it ? Wyverns are quite different from horses but there's something beautiful about flying ahead in the sky."

"Indeed, you can easily scan your targets from afar, swoop in and strike. Even archers are not a problem if you strike at the opportune moment."

"Err, yeah. The flight, too. Different from riding horses."

"Horses are obedient animals. They lack the aerial capacities and stamina but they are quite quick and strong. They are excellent get-away animals."

"Yeah. Err, Peri, don't you think so too ?"

"I love horses ! I was unfortunately sloppy with taking care of them though, but now, I take care of some of the finest breeds in Nohr ! Why, I even dare to approach and feed Lord Xander's personal war horse !"

She turned around and put her hand on her chest, smiling.

"That's impressive." Commented Beruka.

"So, speaking of Felicia, how's Flora ? And Jakob ? And Gunter ?"

"Whoah, hehe, lots of people !" answered Peri. "Flora's at home, or so I heard. She was suspicious of me, so I hope that Felicia will be able to convince her !"

Corrin nodded.

"Jakob, well, he's been doing some work near some nobles, but he's pretty disappointed about them. He doesn't talk to me much, and when he does, it's to tell me to get out of his sight. However, he seems to miss you. Perhaps you could talk to him !"

"I sure will !"

Having servants around always bothered Corrin, but he was accepting of the maids and butler. Perhaps because he grew up with them ? Or simply because they had an odd fixation on being at his beck and call. The two of them declared that they'd follow them into their countryside house, but Corrin refused, which they eventually accepted.

Having them around to help would be a bonus now though. And having Jakob take care of Kana would be good at times. Jakob. Not Felicia. She was not putting her own child in the arms of that klutzy ditz.

"And Gunter ?"

"Total mystery !"

"Oh… well, I'd be glad to see what your house is like. But now, let's find Elise !"

…

It took them some time (Beruka suspected that Peri intentionally took the wrong path), but alas, the trio managed to reach Elise. The princess apparently chose to dwell in front of the throne room, perhaps to try to warn her siblings in time.

Her posture was downcast, and Beruka saw the shadow of a sad frown on the princess's face before she looked up at the arriving couple… and their odd companion.

"Oh, Corrin ! Beruka ! Peri… ?"

"Elise ! Apologies for the wait." He said. "Things are fine now."

"Oh ! It's okay ! I walked away instead of waiting at the door !"

Elise hugged Corrin, though without running into him this time. He accepted it well enough, while Peri put her hands on her hips, glancing at the siblings.

"Isn't that cute ?"

"Yes." She answered. Elise's disposition seemed happier, though soon, she attempted to put on a more serious face. Unfortunately enough, even such a face looked positively cute, especially compared to the ones that even Corrin could put forth.

"But you have to tell me what that was about !"

"Well, remember when I was… temporarily defeated by Takumi ? Well, I still have the scar." He said, with no small amount of pauses.

"Oh ! That one ! I'm sorry ! I forgot about it…"

"It's okay." He confided. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"And I apologize for inciting you to leave." Said Beruka. "I was worried over Corrin's condition."

"That's very much fine ! Don't apologize, sis !" Replied Elise, before whispering. "We should do something. Big bros and sis are still hard at work."

"Well, that's very interesting ! We were talking about visiting my house ! Would you care to join us ?"

"Yes, and visiting Arthur and Effie." Said Beruka, in a bid to try to save themselves from the visit.

"Ohhh. I think they're busy at the moment ! Maybe tomorrow ?"

"Perfect time for the visit !" piped in Peri, fixing her glasses.

"Oh, visiting your house ? That sounds…fun !"

Beruka saw it as the final nail in the coffin. If Elise was going, then so was Corrin, and so would her. She was doing more walking than she wished to do, with the future complications of the baby but at the same time, Beruka was persuaded that something would go wrong and while she knew that Corrin was more than strong enough to defeat Peri should something happen, the assassin still desired to assist him should anything go wrong.

"Then let's go. Lead the way, Peri !"

…

Peri's house was built in what historians are calling Nohr's "golden age". And thus, it lacked the bizarre, foreboding architecture that was installed by the recent monarchs (and only popularized by Garon's insane demands, such as the training platform above the castle).

Still though, the building had a certain presence to it that could scare anyone off, even when its deliberately garish pink painting. It had two immense main windows that looked like widened eyes, and one immense red door, akin to a shocked mouth. The garden in front of it was, per the course for Nohr, full of frightening and twisted vegetation, attempting to reach the sun.

Two massive walls were present, protecting the flower and houses from bandits. Some holes ran along the structure, being formerly full of gnarly spikes to prevent any agile outlaw from trying his luck. Spikes were still mounted but they were smaller and less threatening, though still sharp enough to ward off an opportunistic individual.

The house's roof was blood red, in contrast with its bright pink color, and it was easily several time the size of Corrin and Beruka's former humble little domain. Still, it had a disturbing lack of windows apart from the two mains ones. Two could be seen, a little bit above the door, but they weren't big enough for any adult to squeeze through, though perhaps more were located in the back of the house or the building.

"Welcome home !" said Peri. "Well, my home."

"It's…"

"Unique ?" finished Corrin, searching for the good word. Elise seemed frightened, but hide it well, attempting to look casual and bored. She glanced at Beruka one or two times each time, as if attempting to copy her poker face.

"Indeed ! It was built by my great grandfather after all ! His work inspired most of modern Nohr's architecture ! I took the liberty of making it friendlier though !"

"Yeah, the pink is really flamboyant."

"And so is the rest of the house ! Come ! Have a look !"

Standing behind the (pink) gates that led to the miniature fortress, the noble group easily made its way through the garden. Some guards were present, as courtesy, though it was agreed that only idiots would even bother to try to rob someone while in sight of the dragon prince of Nohr.

Beyond the door laid a pretty foreboding house. Straight up, the entrance led to a huge room, full of shelves, closets and weapons collections of sort, showing weapons that were stolen from enemies (she could see a few katanas or bows), were particularly useful in warfare (Peri's prized armorslayer laid in a corner of the room, surrounded by dusty weapons) or were simply bizarre, like a sword with multiple blades sprouting out of the main one.

Portraits were present across the room, with the biggest ones being Peri and her father. He was, surprisingly enough, the one to give her pink hair. He also, perhaps, bestowed her bloodlust upon her, going by his empty stare and the fact that he depicted himself with a bloody knife in hand. He was quite old by the time he made the painting, going by the wrinkles, but he still had something of a dangerous look to him.

Peri stood in another painting, in her current "form". Her expression was softer than in reality, and she made a point of making it plain and weaponless, whereas the older portraits were quite proud to show off the subject either clad in armor, or standing amongst the dead, or holding a bloody weapon.

Her family apparently truly enjoyed the era of Garon. No wonder why.

"Follow me !"

Taking the way to the right, Beruka could see that Elise was walking closer to Corrin, and could also see Corrin seemingly offer his arm to her, though she refused. She was not afraid of some paintings, after all.

The manor's interior was small and claustrophobic. The hallways were cramped and small, servants had to stop and walk into another room to let the little group pass through and she swore that some of the stairs led to nothing but a wall or that one hallway led to a cul-de-sac.

The manor had a purpose beyond being a mere house, it seemed. Peri's family, the Neermeizer, were quite important to Nohr but she still hoped that Xander would at least ensure that future members of the family would be raised away from such a home. There was… something in the air.

At the risk of being unusually poetic, evil was in the air.

The sound of a vase nearly being dropped to the ground caught their attention though. What also caught their attention, however, was that the vase was caught at the very last second !

"M-master Corrin !"

Felicia didn't change at all over the course of the year. She could, however, notice a little paper on her chest, reading "My name is FELICIA", as well as the fact that she was wearing a more conventional maid outfit was the only difference. It seemed that not everyone changed dramatically over the course of a year.

"Ah ! Sorry ! Corrin !"

"It's fine, Felicia !"

Peri quietly retreated from the hallway they were currently standing on and made a waving gesture of a sort.

"I'm going to get something ! Please, don't wander out !"

The blue and pink-haired woman left, and Felicia put the vase back to its position, before approaching the group, with her and Corrin embracing. Beruka didn't mind, since they were just friends in the end.

"It's so good to see you again ! Oh, and hello princess Elise ! And Beru… Princess Beruka !"

Elise nodded, seemingly a little distressed. Corrin kept her closer in answer, perhaps regretting his decision.

"So… is this your new workplace ?"

"Y-yes. When Lady Peri offered me to work here, I… I was scared, and huh, I think I laughed in disbelief before I realized that it was a joke too ! But… she was serious ! H-however, she knows not to attack servants. We just wear those signs now."

"Why would you work here ?" questioned Beruka.

"W-well, once you get past the creepy exterior… and after removing the spikes and… if you ignore the creepy architecture, and the foreboding portraits, and the weapons that _sometimes goes missing before they just reappear_ it's… not bad."

She pointed to the vase.

"See ? I trained my reflexes !"

"That's great to hear !"

"And, how have you been ? You looked a little troubled before leaving but I just couldn't find you…"

Unwilling to listen to another résumé, Beruka chose to shrug and look around, glancing at the door that Peri used to live the room, noticing that it was half open.

And then, she froze.

In the small crack of the door, barely visible, stood an hidden Peri, with a knife in her hand, glancing upon her guests with a smile !

….

**A/N : **Spooky Peri !

I always imagined that Peri's family had a whole bunch of houses where they were doing "morally reprehensible stuff". Even in pre-Garon Nohr, though, they managed to get away with it by virtue of being rich and because they picked their targets in advances !

What will happen to our intrepid heroes caught in the creepy house ? Is Peri seriously going to attack a guy who took down the slimey Garon and spooky Takumi ? Tune in ext time on Peacetime Confusions !

Reviews are appreciated !


	13. Of cakes and hand-holding

Beruka swore up and down that she could see Peri with a knife, observing the group, obviously preparing a vicious manoeuver to attack them all.

What advantages could be gained out of attacking the royals ? Why would Peri even attempt to do such a thing when this would lead to swift annihilation by the likes of Xander ? She didn't know nor care. Things such as reason never guided Peri and it would be foolish to assume that she'd care about the consequences of her action. Beruka sneakily moved her hand towards a hidden weapon in her long dress, preparing to defend the others.

She prepared to warn them but, unfortunately, Peri was quicker ! In a flash, she… opened the door, revealing that she had a knife and a blue circular cake. She wasn't an expert on bakery but it was large and had some cream on top of it, and, upon closer inspection, part of it appeared to be of a pink color.

No idea on how she partially opened the door, perhaps it was left partially open from the start ?

"Hehe ! That cake look pretty delicious, don't you think ?"

"O-oh ! It was made by me, so I wouldn't recommend…"

"Come on now, Felicia ! You're no longer a klutz ! Let's eat it !"

Corrin observed the cake, and so did Elise. They both seemed relatively open to the idea of consuming it, but Beruka was wary. Perhaps it was poisoned ? She'd taste it without any hesitation if it weren't for her pregnancy, but perhaps it'd affect Kana, which was not something that she wanted, obviously enough. Letting Elise or Corrin try it first would be dangerous, and while Corrin had a high resistance to poison, she wasn't going to just put him in danger.

She turned towards Felicia and part of her mind decided that she'd be the one to taste. Beruka had no real relation to Felicia and the maid was expendable. Corrin would disagree, though, and the former assassin knew that he'd disapprove of her pragmatic thought, but alas, she was doing it for them.

Asking Peri to eat it would not work. It was courtesy in Nohr to let the guests eat first and she didn't want to make it look like she was too suspicious of the noble yet. She needed to have the royal duo side with her, not against her. And accusing a seemingly redeemed woman of crimes that she didn't commit would get them to agree with Peri's defenses.

And the guards would be too obvious. It would be easy for Peri to guilt Elise and Corrin into eating the cake if she acted upset over the fact that Beruka didn't trust her.

"I suggest that Felicia is the first one to be served." Proposed Beruka. "As a reward for the cake."

"L-l-lady Beruka ! It'd be highly impolite of me to be the first one to eat while royals are present !"

The group headed to a larger room, having silently ruled that the consumption would be better on a table.

"Right, forgive my manners."

"Maybe I could try to eat it first ?" Offered Corrin.

Before she could answer, Peri was already on the move, cutting the cake quickly and easily with the knife, confirming that the inside of the cake had some pink jelly within. Felicia looked nervous, but perhaps because she was nervous at the idea of feeding a noxious ingredient to a bunch of nobles. Elise, meanwhile, tilted her head to the side, intrigued but seemingly unwilling to taste just yet.

The soldiers didn't react, and Beruka could only observe as Corrin took the part and swiftly ate it in one or two bites, before sitting down. This caused Peri to gasp in surprised delight, and Beruka leaned in, getting ready to get him to vomit whatever poison was in the cake.

To her surprise, though, he smiled. A little, at first, but then he made a legitimate little laugh. It wasn't quite as happy as the ones he did when he was genuinely content, but it was still an indicator of the pastry's quality. This seemed to please Felicia, going by her rapid, nervous clapping.

"It's delicious ! You outdid yourself, Felicia !" he said, perhaps a little bluntly.

"Oh ! It's not much ! I had help from Miss Peri !"

"I didn't do everything though ! You're the one who succeeded !"

Peri actually went for a hug, and Felicia's nervous laughter rung once more. Perhaps she was glad and couldn't express her happiness in another way, or she was embarrassed about the attention she was currently receiving or she just knew that there was a knife inches away from her back, because Peri accidentally forgot to let go of it before the hug, which seemed to make Corrin worry a little.

"Oops ! Sorry about the knife ! I… just got distracted."

"Could I have a bite too ?" said Elise.

"Of course ! And what about you, Miss Beruka ?!"

"I'm sorry, but I will pass. This may not be healthy for Kana."

"Kan… oh, the baby ! You've got a name ! It's so cute too ! How did you react when you learned of it !"

"Huuhhhhh may I get a part too ? It was very good !" said Corrin, eager to prevent the fainting gag from going on any longer. "And I was happy about Kana."

"So, is she a girl ?" Offered Peri, slicing the cake with deadly precision.

"No , it's a name for both boys and girls." He said. "Everyone's thinking that it'll be a girl though."

Beruka wasn't convinced on Peri's innocence and carefully sat back, arms folded. The others grabbed their own plates while Felicia sat down next to Beruka, causing her to glance at the maid.

"What are you doing ?"

"W-well, I'm just trying to give you some company. Corrin told me about himself but not you…"

"It went well. Why are you wearing a name tag of a sort ?"

"Oh, well, miss Peri used to see us all in a weird way. Err, kind of like the servant who… you know."

"Yes. The nametag is used to prevent such a case."

"Yeah ! Exactly ! She said it's not needed anymore but, you know…"

"And why would you work with her then ?" Offered Beruka. "The castle seems to be safer."

"I did work at the castle while awaiting Corrin's return ! And one day, Peri offered and after… much hesitation, I decided to give her a chance ?"

She pointed to the vase.

"At least, I'm not so klutzy anymore ! And my cake is good now !"

Beruka honestly didn't care much, though it seemed that Peri's redemption was genuine instead of being a ploy. Felicia was not the sort of person who could hide a secret well (perhaps she even thought that Corrin was Nohrian) and she would probably try to warn them if they were in danger or if Peri was using some sort of trick or mean to force the maid to work under her.

Looking at Peri, she was quietly eating her part of the cake, though she seemed happy at the popularity of the baked good. Perhaps this kind of sight would lower a less alert woman's guard, but Beruka wasn't convinced.

"I see."

"So, err, how does it feel to be a princess ?"

"Annoying. I will need to hide my face to avoid complications."

She admittedly always hid her face during confrontations or negotiations, as a matter of prudence. There was no need for such complications during the war but contracts were different from standard warfare. While Beruka's reputation was certainly known, she made sure that no one would guess her face or name, allowing her to proceed forward as Camilla's retainer without issues.

Beruka was perhaps a little too open on her status as an assassin, but to her credit, she did intend to keep it a secret. Camilla, however, felt "teasy", or so she said. Perhaps she just wanted to make it clear to her siblings, and they themselves felt like informing the rest. Luckily enough, the secret apparently was still confined to the upper echelon of the Nohrian military, allowing Beruka to quietly operate without being worried.

Well, upper echelon of the Nohrian military and a maid.

"But it's wonderful, I bet ! You're probably living in the castle and… you've got those huge clothes, and those fancy portraits, and…"

"We've been living in a small house in the countryside for a year. I would rather have my armor. The portraits are absent so far."

Right, they'd need to make one.

"A small house ? Oh…" she said, though she was less surprised than she thought she'd be.

"You appear accepting of it."

"Well, he always said that if he could, he'd just live in a small house. Lord Corrin did grow up in a fortress to the north. He could never really leave or escape, so…"

"I know of it."

"Right, my bad. Erm, so he always wanted to be somewhere where he could walk free and maybe meet up with people."

"The house was close to Windmire."

"Is it somewhere pretty in the countryside then ?"

She thought of Nohr's outright nightmarish agriculture and just how oppressive the country felt. Felicia spent a lot of time within the fortress, or the ice tribe (which, ironically enough, had actual trees) or that odd pocket dimension, where the land was much cleaner and healthier. Corrin loaned it to Xander a bit after the war and grew some food into it to try to feed the nearby Nohrian population.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite large enough to really feed the nation. It provided a boon though. He did, however, ask Xander not to raze Lilith's temple and, occasionally, bestow food upon it.

A bizarre demand perhaps, but to his credit, food did seem to vanish when offered. And the woman did give her life away for him.

"… Lilith ?"

"Y-yes ?" asked Felicia.

"Who was she, exactly ?"

"That's… a bit blunt, with all due respect !"

Corrin turned towards them, but was distracted by Elise asking for more cake. Beruka clenched her fist, aware that the subject might be painful to him.

"Apologies for asking." She said.

"It's alright. She… was a dear friend, though. I miss her. Jakob is… Jakob and sister is back at the tribe."

"You could join her."

"I know. But I want to stop being a klutz first, and also see how Lord Corrin was doing. He seemed affected by the events of the war."

"Of course he'd be." Replied Beruka, in something akin to dismissal. "But he's doing better now."

"I'm glad about that." She replied. "After all that happened, he deserves some happiness."

Corrin looked at them again, his bright red eyes filled with questions as he chewed on his third part, cake bits scattered all over his mouth. Beruka got up and went ahead to remove them for him using a napkin, sitting down next to him afterwards.

It didn't take much longer for it to be devoured whole, and within the next seven minutes, the group was following Peri once more, with the servants and Felicia deciding to take care of it. Well, Felicia would, but Peri snapped her fingers and pointed at her.

"Come on now, follow us ! It's been a long time since you saw Corrin !"

The maid excused herself to the others and promptly went ahead to join the group, progressing towards stairs that led to an actual floor, instead of a wall.

"W-well, Lord Corrin, as you can see, I'm handy with cooking and taking care of things now !"

"Indeed ! But I knew you could do it. You were always more skilled than you thought you were."

"W-well, it's nothing. I just thought that I should bury that quirk after the war and get more serious if you ever need me again."

He observed Felicia, and Beruka only paid little attention to the floor. It was relatively normal, but small, to the point where it'd be impossible for an adult to walk past another, unless one squashed himself against the wall to allow the other to pass through.

She could feel someone's hand seek hers, and upon looking down, Beruka could see Elise, feebly attempting to look casual. Was she scared, or mistaken ?

"What are you doing ?" She whispered.

"Oh, I'm just… well, it's a bit scary so…"

"You've been to actual battlefields, lady Elise."

"I know, its silly, but…"

Beruka sighed, and ultimately didn't let go. The little girl only became a full-fledged mage late in the war, but even as a healer, her job required her to be present amongst the battlefield. The fact that one of the combatants of the Battle of Port Dia would be scared of a sinister yet harmless house was laughable to the assassin, and part of her wished to just tell the princess to grow up and take her lessons to heart, instead of hiding behind her big siblings.

But alas, this wouldn't really be seen well by her siblings. And Corrin, mostly. She wanted to be a better person, for him, and refusing to aid Elise (perhaps the most fragile sibling), even for perhaps the right reason, would be seen as rude. She also knew that the others would perhaps be angered or willing to lecture her over it, and the assassin would rather not get in trouble and provoke discord while they were supposed to help Corrin.

"You may hold my hand. For now."

"Thank you, big sis."

She nodded back at the whispering princess, and held her hand. Corrin briefly stopped saying anything, noticing it perhaps, and sounded just a bit happier when he resumed his talk.

"There's not much to show, unfortunately ! I'm trying to do some renovation !"

Indeed, while the lower floor was full of weapons and portraits alike, this one was relatively more bare bones, and she could see some empty rooms from time to time.

"However, such renovations take time ! Still, I wanted to show you my place for a little project of mine !"

"Which is ?"

"Well, in…about one more year, let us return to it ! Well, I mean, you, because I live ther… nevermind. You'll see how different it will be !"

"That's a nice idea !" piped in Corrin. "But I have a question in mind !"

Peri shook her head and waged her finger, to the prince's confusion. Beruka knew what he was going to ask, but Elise didn't. The guards, if they could guess it, didn't bother to make that fact know. And reading their faces beyond those steel masks was nigh-impossible.

"You can have Felicia, of course ! But only if she want !"

"W-well, I'd be glad to do so !" said the maid. "I apologize over it, lady Peri, but…"

"That's fine. You did good work, and helped me immensely ! So, as a reward, you can get to go back to Corrin !"

Beruka observed the scene, and the prince's reaction. He smirked and raised his hand, scratching the back of his head. He liked to do that whenever he was put in an embarrassing situation, and she honestly found it fairly endearing as far as quirks went.

"I accept then ! Thank you both !"

Corrin wisely chose to hide the fact that he meant to ask if he could have some more cake before departing. He wasn't really fond of just "trading" Felicia as if she was some object though. Peri did bother to at least take her feelings into consideration (and he would've backed down if she chose to refuse) but he was unnerved enough over it not to ask the initial question.

He couldn't help but feel that he was taking her away because she was "his", and that unsettled him deeply.

…

The group left through the gates, leaving Peri behind. Interestingly, Elise only chose to let go after walking out of the domain, though she smiled at Beruka afterwards.

"Thanks, Beruka !"

"I'm sorry Felicia. I acted as if I were trading you, and…"

"Trade me ? Don't worry over it, Lord Corrin. I wasn't there for you during the year, so I want to make him up by helping you."

At the very least, Felicia could help with the house, thought Beruka. Perhaps it was trading, but the woman was devoted to the prince after all.

"It's getting dark." Said Elise. "Let's go back to the castle !"

"I'd have one thing to do though." Said Corrin. "Don't worry, it's five minutes, at most !"

"Allow me to accompany you." Offered Beruka.

"It's a, erm, surprise." He answered, kind of ruining the point of it. "But don't worry. You know, I've got the Yato, and I'm not getting anywhere dangerous."

"Still, you better be back in five minutes !" Answered Elise.

"W-well, you can handle yourself by now. But be careful, alright ?"

"I trust you." Said Beruka, quickly trying to remember the presence of lakes in Windmire.

She knew that he was strong, so she didn't worry too much. Well, part of her still felt that Beruka should be careful, but if Corrin was proactive, then trying to restrain him would perhaps be unhelpful.

Beruka could only hope that he didn't mean to slip out to do something.

"Thank you. And don't worry, five minutes, top !"

And with that, he slipped out. Well, slipped out as best as a prince with a shadow sword, pale skin, pointy hair and blue hair (amongst others) could. Elise and Felicia turned around somewhat reluctantly, but Beruka quietly closed her eyes and started to head "home".

…

**A/N : **There's going to be a time-skip soon, gotta introduce Kana after all !

But first, let's have a last "recap" of a sort featuring the siblings ! Most of them, bar Elise, have been pretty absent for a few chapters now.

Don't forget to leave reviews, they help !


	14. Of flowers and ruffians

The streets of Windmire seemed to be much safer than before.

Corrin didn't spend much time in the capital, so he could never truly see it for real. Silas and the others did inform him of it, but he never really got the occasion to just visit it, a fact that he desired to change.

He would've done it with Beruka perhaps, but he did want to surprise her with a gift, though he knew that his wife would probably be able to easily follow him. After all, the prince did somewhat stand out amongst the crowd, clad in his noble clothing and wielding a most unique sword. Naturally, a few desired to speak with him as a result, something that he was willing to indulge in.

"P-prince Corrin !" Said a bearded man. "What are you doing here ?"

"I'm just visiting Windmire." He answered. "And seeking a flower shop, is there one around, perhaps ?"

The man croaked in answer, as if confused. To his credit though, he did consider the gesture disrespectful, and attempted to cough halfway through, as if pretending that he was merely sick. Fortunately, Corrin knew better than to be offended by such a mere gesture, and he nodded accordingly.

"Well, you… with all due respect, this is quite an hard task."

"Haha, don't worry, I'm quite aware of it."

"There is one about three minutes away, you just need to walk straight and take the first alley that you see, to the right. There's another way to access it, but it's a bit longer… Be careful though, there be _scum_ in that alley. You can handle those though !" He said.

"Worry not, I shall use this path. Thank you, kind sir !"

The man attempted to answer but found himself unable to, out of joy at being complimented by a prince. Corrin went on his way meanwhile, wondering if he could per chance use his draconic speed to easily reach the castle. He didn't want to needlessly worry Elise and Felicia after all, especially after the former witnessed him in a diminished state of a sort.

Beruka, however, simply trusted that he'd come back. Perhaps not in five minutes, but not too late. And thus, the prince quickened his pace, reaching the alley within about one minute instead of five. And, indeed, at the end of it stood another street. He couldn't see the flower shop, but he figured that it'd be in sight with ease. Orrr, the bearded man was lying to him and luring him in a trap.

Well, no. He did warn Corrin specifically. The former Hoshidian prince shook his head and walked into the alley. Unlike the streets, the alley was pretty dirty and small. Oppressive, even : There was enough space for Corrin to walk on, but if he were followed, then there'd be little space for the other person to really fit through. They'd need to be small and thin to even walk next to him.

Indeed, any bandit would appreciate such a narrow space.

"Hey, buddy…"

Corrin looked ahead, and noticed a tall man emerge out of the shadows. He hid the lower part of his face within a small, dirty mask, but Corrin could see small, squinty eyes peer from the dark. The man was wearing a uniform akin to a trickster, though it was obviously dirty and full of grime, and the prince could see that he held a hat in his right hand, which he promptly put on.

His other hand held a knife, soon pointed at the noble. Though it wasn't the only weapon pointed at him : A thief, wearing a long cloak and a hood, though he was also seemingly pretty thin, emerged out of the thrash, bow and arrow in hand. The bow, while of lesser quality than those in the army, could still perhaps nock an arrow or two.

A year and some months ago, the prince would've been panicked, or would've reacted strongly perhaps. Perhaps he would've drawn his sword before asking what they wanted, or would've tried to reach some compromise.

But after all he went through, the prince was just a little desensitized about dangerous people threatening to kill him, only reacting to the emergence of the thugs with a sigh and a good-humored smile.

"Say, you're pretty confident, walking around those parts of town with your fancy garbs."

"You getting bored of having so much money, friend ?"

"I can lend you some of it." Offered Corrin. "But unfortunately, I'm still going to need some of it."

The prince prepared to grab the bag of gold that he was carrying, but the lanky one got closer, knife still pointed at the noble. He briefly glanced at his partner-in-literal-crime, laughing.

"Look at this chump ! You think we want your pity ? You think that you'll get away with offering us some gold coins ? We're going to take _all_ of it, and see if we can't take some of that garb you're carrying."

"You won't." answered Corrin. "I'm on a schedule. Please, just walk away and no one will be hurt."

The lankier man glanced at the prince and his eyes briefly widened. Unfortunately enough, his buddy's patience was lesser than the trickster, since he immediately fired one arrow at the prince's back. In answer, however, the prince chose to thrust his hand-out, grabbing the projectile without even looking at it and subsequently snapping it in two within his hand.

"Oh… shit ! shit ! Bertrand, it's the prince !"

"What do you mean ?!" answered the bowman, already thoroughly unnerved by Corrin's effortless arrow catch. He ultimately didn't need his friend's help to figure it out, going by his sudden shock.

"It's Corrin ?! Y-you fucking moron ! It should've been easy to figure out !"

"Apologies, mister prince !" said the Trickster, ignoring him. "I… I didn't know it was you !"

"It's alright… but I might just end up remembering you." Said Corrin. "Stop your criminal lifestyle at once, or I'll do it for you."

He didn't quite mean it, but he wasn't going to let that get in the way of his intimidation tactic. The shouts started to get some attention from outside : Already, people were gathering, with guards pushing their way in.

The fact that the criminals still went on their knees and dropped their weapons, instead of attempting a last defiance of a sort, spoke volumes of just how much they feared the dragon. The prince quietly leapt over the trickster and blocked their path, allowing the guards to walk in and arrest them. The prince bothered to watch over it before turning around to resume his walk.

Corrin's reputation in Nohr was split. In the Ice Tribes, Port Dia or parts of Windmire, amongst others, he was seen as the kind prince he truly was, for instance. But other parts of the country saw him as a powerful, ruthless prince. A fearsome royal capable of betraying and killing his own country to get what he want, with a reputation for being impossible to kill and succeeding, at a young age, at regicide.

Hoshidians, the people of Cheve, and many more saw him as that. In a way, perhaps this was Iago's final trick, since he's the one who apparently unleashed the rumors. Corrin hoped to dispel them by taking to the diplomatic stage, yet he knew that it'd take him some time.

"Ah, Corrin !"

Snapped out of his thoughts, Corrin turned around and glanced at the familiar voice that called out to him, recognizing, alas, Arthur.

"Welcome to Windmire, my dear friend !" offered the fighter, going for a manly embrace. Corrin replicated with another one, though he was smaller and thinner than Arthur. It just felt more right, after all.

"Arthur ! It's so nice to see you ! Sorry, I've been pretty caught up in tours and such so…"

"It's no worries, Corrin !" said Arthur, as they both stepped out of the alley. "I know that you must be busy, and thus, I may let you go if you so desire !"

"No, no, it's fine. Say, is the flower shop nearby…"

He pointed at it with this thumb, and Arthur looked ahead at it. It was a modest little house, with a magical protection on the twisted plants within. There was twice the protection on some rare actual vegetation, and even more magic to keep it alive by simulating the light of the sun and its nourishment.

Nohr mages had a wide variety of spells designed to simulate things now rare within the country. They were pretty cheap to use and easy to learn, to the point where someone suggested building a magician's guild to help peasants and the less fortunate. However, since most magicians used to be drafted in the army nearly by force, the guild had little membership, and the government disapproved of it. Even now, with its hands untied, it struggled with really doing a lot of things.

After all, it'd take an army of magicians to really use such spells over a wide range, and most new recruits were used to more destructive uses of magic, meaning that for now, the guild really only helped merchants and attempted to train mages to better fulfill their duties within the next five years at most.

And Corrin was supposed to be buying those flowers right now.

"You seek flowers, my friend ? A courageous quest in Nohr ! Perhaps I could help you in your endeavor ? I know little of this shop, unfortunately !"

"Let's go then. I don't want to sound like I'm being pushy, but people will get worried if I don't come back quickly."

"Ah, how understandable ! But worry not, the streets are far safer to walk in ! Well, not the alleys… but at least, justice has been delivered to one !"

"Yeah… those were pretty unlucky thieves."

Mercifully enough, accessing the store proved to be easy. The store's interior proved to be as friendly as excepted. It was, without a doubt, small, to the point where Arthur had to do some effort to walk in the aisles without knocking plants over, but charming in a way.

"Who's t-LORD CORRIN ! Oh, apologies ! We were not excepting…"

"That's fine. I'm just in need of a Versanium." He said.

"Of course, of course ! We have those ! G-good choice, they're pretty easy to take care of ! You'll need some water and sunlight but…"

The merchant was obviously quite young. Probably even younger than the prince. His attire was fairly disheveled too. Corrin, however, only vaguely smiled yet. He didn't quite want to intimidate the young man after all, and he felt that a chuckle would only make the shop owner (?) even more worried at the idea that the prince was losing his patience.

Arthur stood in the background, helping a woman decide what to pick and trying not to get stung in the eye by a plant's spike or something. To his credit, he seemed to be a luckier person ever since the end of the war.

The young store owner brought a potted Versanium, a plant similar to those that grew in their backyard : Beautiful tip, with multicolored petal, but the main body was purple and seemingly trying to warp around the air, giving it a odd, malnourished look. It stood out in comparison to the golden book next to it, with the depiction of a star on it. Corrin, while inexperienced with magic compared to Leo, knew what it was.

"Is it "sunshine" ?"

"Yes ! Quite correct milord ! It comes along with the plant. It's quite easy to use, and the plant will need to see some of it to avoid withering. Water too, but that's easier to find."

"Indeed. Thank you for your help." Said Corrin, with the prince handing out the necessary gold pieces, and about two more. The young man noticed it, but he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut about it, though he did silently nod to the prince, as if thanking him.

"I might end up visiting it more often."

"T-that'd be an honor, sir !"

Corrin disagreed, but he accepted the compliment with a smile.

…

Both the prince and the fighter found themselves walking down the street, with the castle in sight. Though its giant foreboding walls weren't exactly stealthy. Corrin held both tome and plant in his arms, denying Arthur's request to take care of the lifting out of a desire not to tempt the latter's bad luck, which was probably still present. And the prince would hate losing the plant to the caprice of some whimsical fate deity.

"So, Arthur ?"

"Yes, lord Corrin ?"

"How does it feel to be a father ?"

"Haha, I knew that you'd ask such a question ! Have no shame in asking it however, for it come to any future father !"

"Ye-yeah… well, I'm curious."

"Well, first of, you must be proud of your future child ! It comes without saying that any future endeavor must be encouraged ! Well, unless the baby desires to become an evil-doer, but surely such desires will not come to her with you two as parents !"

"Understood. I just want for her desires to be… well, as you know…"

"Ha, the mother's line of work ?"

"Former." He said. "… for now. But, well, that but Beruka must feel the same. I'm afraid that Kana will need to pick up a sword, one day."

"Kana ? Nice name ! And, my friend, I would love to tell you not to worry…"

"Thanks." He said, anticipating the second part.

"But unfortunately. Unfortunately, being a hero also means resigning oneself to adversity ! As a royal of Nohr, much await your child, for such is the destiny of those with a crown ! Now, of course, thanks to the king's efforts, I doubt that our little wonders will need to partake in a war as violent as the last one. And I sincerely believe that Kana shall gain the experience and empathy to deal with those problems ! Like their father before them !"

"I know, Arthur. But… as a father, I refuse to just give Kana one sword and a world of troubles. I want them to be happy."

"Such is the wish of any father worth of the title." Resumed Arthur. "But do not think of my words as those of a cynical man ! Beside, I barely had my first child !"

"Percy, right ?"

"I had a lot of names that rhymed with justice but alas, Effie refused to budge !"

Corrin chuckled in answer. "You know, our children are going to grow up together. Well, Percy has one year on Kana at least."

"It'd be a pleasure to assist you in your endeavor as parents !" continued Arthur. "Our children will learn much of one another !"

"Yep." Answered Corrin. "Well, I'm going to go ahead just in case. If you want to come…"

"I must still go on patrol, my friend ! It was still a pleasure to talk with you, however ! I look forward to having more of those talks with you !"

"Haha, me too ! Go, Arthur ! For great justice !"

Arthur heroically ran out, and Corrin raised his tome-holding arm, making it fall as a result. He quickly crouched to retrieve it, looked around and quickly walked out of the scene.

…

Funnily enough, Elise and Felicia were standing watch near the entrance. Upon seeing Corrin, Elise pouted, but the maid was content with putting her hand on her chest and sighing.

"It took you more than five minutes !"

"Sorry, I got a bit delayed." He said. "Nothing serious, though !"

"Well, you shou-ohhh, what's that ?" questioned Elise.

"That's a Versanium. They've been growing in our backyard… well, former backyard. I should get our stuff back now that we're settling here."

"It's… unniiiqquueee ?" said Felicia, seeking a compliment but not quite finding it. "Is it for Beruka ?"

"Yeah. I need to see her." Offered Corrin. "Hope you won't mind if I…"

"Don't worry, it's okay ! I gotta show off the palace to Felicia too !"

"Well, I quite know of it an-woooaahhhhhh !" said the maid, as the unusually-strong troubadour took the decision to grab her hand and drag her to visit the castle. The prince smiled, observing them briefly, before heading towards his room, quickly accessing it without earning any obstacles.

To his surprise, though, Beruka was out of the room, within the hallways, sitting down and seemingly contemplating a matter unknown to her husband. Upon noticing him (an easy feat, since he wasn't exactly subtle), she simply got up and waited for him to approach.

"A Versanium ?" she recognized, unwittingly making him just a little prouder.

"Y-yep, and the book to go along with it. I know that you… know magic, so…"

"… Thank you." She said, getting the gifts from Corrin and holding them. "Why the gift, though ?"

"W-well, you've been put under a lot of stress lately and you seemed to miss gardening, so…"

Beruka observed him quietly, and smiled just a little. She'd still be frowning, for the less trained eye, but he was able to recognize her smiles when she had them.

"Sorry for kind of leaving on you though. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Hm…"

She walked to their room, and Corrin followed once again. Upon arriving, she was quick to put the gifts on the main table and sat down, holding her chin up with her fist.

"I have a confession to make."

"W-well, do."

"We seemingly aren't doing enough… things together." Said Beruka. "I understand that we have our own freedom, but it may be beneficial for us to engage in an activity together more often."

"Yeah… well, at the house, we didn't…"

He realized a bit too late that he had been baited, but Beruka was quick to act before he could correct himself.

"Corrin. Why would you leave so often to visit the lake ?"

"You… hmm, yes, of course you'd knew." He said, sitting down as well. "Well, first off, I'm…"

"I'm not angry. I'm curious." Declared Beruka. "And concerned, perhaps. It's odd."

"I understand… well, it wasn't a very good habit yes, especially with bandits. I didn't lock the door before leaving because you'd be locked in too."

"Yes. But _why_ did you leave ?" she said.

That was one last bit of trauma that she wanted to know, but perhaps Beruka only dared to do so because Corrin was doing better.

He knew, from the start, that she was suspicious of it. And while he always wanted to tell her, Corrin was also fearful of admitting that he truly couldn't let go of Azura or the war.

So, he was content with keeping the illusion of doing well. Aware that he wasn't fooling her nor himself, but alas, the promise of a sweet illusion where they had nothing to complain about was too good. After all the months of death and warfare, the prince wanted nothing more than to take his problems, put them in a box, and just act as if they didn't exist.

"… Well. I… met Azura at a lake."

She nodded.

"It was at Hoshido, before the war. I kept thinking of that, you know ? Before the war ? My life wasn't ideal but it was a bit less complicated." He said. "As much as I hated that fortress, there are plenty of times where I missed it."

"That's understandable."

"And, well, by going to that lake. I felt like I was back before the conflict. Before all the deaths, in our side or theirs. I… I don't mean that I regret the life after the war, of course. Or during, since I… met you."

"How sweet of you." She answered, though he could tell that she meant it.

"It sounds selfish, I know. To leave you and Kana and try to retreat to a safe place of a sort, but…"

"Once more. I understand where you're coming from. You were exposed to trauma with none of the preparation to withstand it. I'm not angry with you, Corrin. Yes, perhaps one may consider your actions as selfish, but I understand just what drove you to adopt them."

He felt that it was a repeat. Once more, he and Beruka were talking in their room, about himself. The fact that the assassin was willing to spend so much time fixing the life of her screwed-up husband was honestly a testament to her progression as a person.

"Well, I understand that living in the past…"

Corrin sighed.

"I forgot that the world moved around me. People changed, had families on their own… I can't stay in the past, not when you're all moving towards the future. I'm going to think of what's awaiting us, rather than what was behind us !" finished Corrin, standing up. Beruka did the same, and quietly contemplated him, finally raising her hands to fix his collar.

Since he was quite a bit taller than her, he crouched down a little to aid her.

"W-what do you think of what I said ?"

"To put it in a vulgar manner, we're "one screwed up couple"." Began Beruka. "But you're right, we can move past our doubts. And we must do so if we desire to raise Kana in a correct way."

"You're right… you know, I think I should be seeing someone who could talk with me like you do, you know ? Maybe we could get rid of the problem that way. I think Xander offered it."

"I don't mind listening to you." Answered Beruka. "But this might be a good idea, yes."

They briefly stared at one another and Corrin laughed, to Beruka's confusion.

"It's been a pretty productive day again !"

"Indeed." Said Beruka. "We shall have a lot of things to report to Lady… to Camilla tonight, as well as your brothers and Elise."

"Like, erm, hiring Felicia ?"

"Yes."

Beruka wrapped her arm around Corrin's, and they both chose to leave the room.

They were unquestionably screwed up as a couple, yes, but they could get better as persons, and that's what they were going to do.

….

**A/N : **Remember how I promised the royal siblings ? Errrrr, I lied !

I've set things up for a time-skip, but out of curiosity, I just wanna ask : would you guys want to have a last chapter, dealing with the conclusion of the day ? Or would it be preferable to skip to Kana ?

I might wait and slow down a little while awaiting and, if there's no answer, I'll eventually find a compromise.

So, reviews and critics are very appreciated for this one ! Thanks for reading !


	15. Of kings and conversations

It was a little odd to walk around like that, so close to the draconic prince. At least in public, since the assassin wasn't exactly the kind of person who enjoyed being frolic. Perhaps she was just motivated by her recent talk with him, or perhaps it was one of those things that she shouldn't be dwelling on.

The prince leaned in as well, though he was more awkward because of a little height difference, and both headed towards the throne room. Krakenburg was quiet once more, but the growing chatter in the distance indicated, to the duo, that the various high ranking Norians were leaving the throne room, meaning that the older siblings were likely available.

Once more, they ascended towards the throne room and, indeed, Camilla stood at the door, yawning. The great Nohrian princess, never defeated by anything, be it Hoshidians, Chevois or the otherworldly forces beyond, did seem to be at the end of her rope when it came to politics and paperwork, blowing her hair bang out of the way with a tired sigh, and only smiling upon noticing the approach of the new royal couple.

"You both look so cute walking together like that !"

"Are you okay, Camilla ?" asked Corrin.

"Of course. But I'm just a bit bored, dear. Paperwork is such a bore. Useful, of course, but a bore nonetheless !"

"Perhaps." Said Beruka. "But it is important nonetheless. Beside, you could request our aid for such."

"Quite correct."

Once more, Leo emerged out of the door, arms folded. In spite of his comment, he also seemed quite bothered, going by the way he stood. He didn't seem as tired as her though, probably because the prince studied that particular royal responsibility ever since childhood, having long decided to support both Camilla and Xander in their subsequent royal efforts, or perhaps even his father.

A pity that the Empty King had no regards for the more complicated aspects of being a ruler. Rumors had it that he was content with having Iago deal with everything (though the sorcerer was, surprisingly, quite good at dealing with those).

Corrin seemed to grin in amusement, but she knew that he was just wondering how he was going to deal with his own paperwork. Mighty as he was, Corrin would definitely not be able to easily handle it.

"I'd tell you how important paperwork is, but you know that. You're too smart to have trouble with such meager papers now, sister."

"How kind of you, Leo ! But while I have the intelligence, I do not have the patience… and neither do you, apparently."

"Errr, I hope that you've been having a fine day." Said Corrin. "Hey, by the way, Leo !"

"A fine day ?" asked Leo, surprised. "Hm… well, yes. We've been making progresses in regard to running the kingdom."

"I wouldn't know anything, Corrin." She said. "We've been spending the day locked in the throne room. Perhaps it would be a fine day if I were to reduce my standards for fun…"

Leo rolled his eyes, and Xander finally stepped out. Unlike the other two, he had virtually zero sign of fatigue on his face, thanks to the heavy preparations bestowed upon him. The two parents-to-be weren't actually surprised by that though, since the prince always had more stamina than practically everyone in the army, bar Keaton, Corrin and perhaps Effie, and even then, the difference in stamina between them was fairly small.

"I do hope that the promise of paperwork will not dampen your resolve." Addressed Xander at Corrin, half-jokingly.

"Of course not. It's a welcome change of course. I don't mind boring stuff as long as it help people, after all !"

Beruka glanced at the prince. Somewhere, the idea that the blue-haired prince would battle papers and laws instead of exposing himself to assassins pleased her, though she knew that it may be hypocritical of her to criticize him over it, and then proceed to partake in her dangerous contracts. Still, she dared to eye the spot where his scar was present, beneath his clothing.

"So, Beruka, what was that about aiding at paperwork ?"

She shot her head up immediately.

"I'm a princess as well. I may only be one via marriage, and I do not possess your potent blood, but it is only fair to help when you may need it."

Beruka did not want to be one of "those" who marry into nobility and then sit back and watch. She knew that it'd need some time for her to work on it, since she had little experience in the matter, and would probably not be too present with her other duties, but alas, she did not intend to sit back and do nothing, not when she already had little to do.

"That's a generous offer, Beruka." Answered Camilla.

"Right. But what we're handling is complicated." Said Leo. "We do appreciate the offer though, and we're glad that you're taking your duty seriously. You may receive some… lessons on it along with Corrin."

She stoically accepted the news, and so did Corrin.

"Where's Elise ?" asked Camilla.

"She's trying to make a tour of the castle for Felicia. We've met her at Peri's manor."

"You met Peri ?" questioned a surprised Xander.

"Yeah. She's… different. Felicia was working with her, and she kind of handed her back to me, which was pretty weird."

"It _is_ Peri." Answered Camilla. And that was enough for them to agree, though Corrin did seem to remain confused over it, even as the royals began to step out, perhaps in a quest to find Elise.

…

The royals were calmly walking down the halls, being flanked by six guards in armor. It would be, perhaps, wiser and easier to merely send a request for Elise to join the gathering, but the group probably wanted to talk a walk after their hours of work, which, perhaps, she could emphasize with.

"Hm, Beruka ?"

The (so far) former assassin glanced up at Xander. And by up, she mean that she nearly craned her neck upward. The king was taller than even Corrin was, though like Corrin, he attempted to step to the side a little, putting more distance between them and allowing Beruka to glance at him without needing to break her neck. Which would perhaps be a little painful.

"Yes, king Xander ?"

"How have you been doing since yesterday ? I apologize for the abruptness of my departure. I was told that things went well by Camilla but I would like to hear it out of you."

"I've been good." She said. "Corrin is doing well, and I thank you for it. Though I wish that you…"

She shook her head, no, that'd be outright insulting to say.

"Don't worry about criticizing me, Beruka. I may not stand for insults or outright disrespect, but I desire to hear any criticism, to either explain myself or improve."

Beruka glanced at Corrin, in the middle of talking to Leo. Tomatoes were coming up for some reason that she didn't care to attempt to uncover.

"You could've warned me, perhaps, about the talk with Corrin."

"Agreed. I acknowledge that it may have been painful for you to be separated, and I apologize for doing so while you were both upset. Truth to be told, we intended to do it under more normal circumstances, but we… made a few mistakes."

She agreed a little on him. And while they should've known what would affect Corrin or not, they did at least owe up to their mistake. Still, she was a little upset that they'd try to hold her back, as useful as the talk with Camilla proved to be. He was in genuine distress after all, and might have been worse off had the Nohrians failed to properly cheer him up.

"Perhaps." She dared to admit. "But you succeeded."

"Indeed, he seems to be doing better than usual."

"True." Continued Beruka. "But he still has some trauma to defeat."

"Right. Such problems are not so easy to defeat. Corrin is on the path of recovery, however, and I know that he'll emerge victorious…"

The king looked down upon his sister-in-law.

"But how are you adapting, Beruka, if I may ask ?"

"To… my new life, you mean ?"

"Indeed. Pardon me for being blunt, but it must be quite different from the one that you lived thus far… though I do not intend to insult you."

"I understand, milord." She began. "I knew the conditions of what a marriage would entail and took them. It is obviously difficult to adapt, but I am receiving… help on how to do that, be it from Camilla or Elise."

"I do hope that they are not too invasive in their attempts. I do know that they can be a bit…"

"Elise is spirited, but I understand her. I've been dealing with Camilla for years, as well… if there is one thing that I'd like to ask, per chance, it would be to grow closer to Lo… Leo and you."

"That'd be a good idea ! We never really had the occasion to truly talk during the war, and I wish to correct that. You are part of the family after all, now."

"Hm… part of the family ?"

"Is this a notion that you disagree with ?"

"… Perhaps not, but I feel that it may take me some time to get used to it. I never thought that I'd rejoin a regular family, let alone the royal one."

"That's understandable. The life of a princess is more complicated than in the fairy tales, after all."

"I wouldn't know, I never bothered to read those." She replied, perhaps insolently. He smiled a little in answer.

"Apologies, Lord Xander."

"No need for such. My comment was dismissive."

"Worry not." Said Beruka. "I am aware of the difficulties of my post and I intend to help you with it."

"That is good." Concluded Xander. "How was your day ?"

"… Hm, I met Effie and Arthur."

"It must've been interesting, though I heard that Arthur's luck has been growing better since the war. How fruitful was it ?"

"It was informative. And insightful to see how the passage of time has changed some of us. The other members of our… party that visited us over the year changed less, perhaps."

"You've encountered Percy as well, I assume."

"Indeed. He's… a baby. There is not much to say about him so far. He did have influence over his parents, though. They've changed the most out of anyone save a certain someone."

"I assume that you're talking about Peri."

"We met while I was… seeking water, at night. She attempted to help me, and fully introduced herself later tomorrow."

"To be truthful, I feel that the way I helped Peri might have been a little forceful." He admitted. "She seems much better off than she was during the war, but I regret nearly dragging her into this."

"The woman's mental state was poor. It would've come to this. She seems to be better as of now, though it'd be for the best to keep watching her."

"Indeed, but I want to show that even our criminals can change. This is why I've proposed some of the criminals to join the army. Discipline and camaraderie might solve their issues, after all."

Beruka quietly contemplated the king, and realized that he was a bit more naïve than she thought. He was similar to Corrin in that regard, when he's likely aware of the impossibility of his claims, yet still attempt to apply himself to make them reality. Peri's successful "redemption" was, perhaps, proof enough of his ambitions, though she'd likely need more years.

"So, you encountered Felicia at Peri's manor ?"

"Indeed. It is a surprising coincidence, isn't it ?"

"Fate work in odd ways. I have no doubt that future circumstances might put you in a position where you will, once more, interact with an ally of old."

"I would need to be pretty far from Windmire. Most of our former allies are away."

She pondered, looked at Corrin, and then looked back at Xander.

"Allow me to ask you a question."

"Do so."

"Do you know the whereabouts of Gunter, by any chance ?"

"Hm… would you like me to search ? I haven't interacted much with Gunter. He's a solitary man, though I do not blame him for being wary."

"I wouldn't want to waste your time over this. I was merely asking."

"For Corrin ?"

"Yes."

"This is kind of you." Said Xander. "I truly wish that nothing will impact your relationship."

"As do I. He is the world to me."

She may have told him a little too much : Indeed, Corrin was everything to her, though, perhaps, she found herself appreciating Elise and the others, though the prince would obviously stay on top of her list.

"And so will be Kana."

"This is good to hear." Indicated Xander.

The group in front of them stopped, as the sound of overenthusiastic greeting filled the hallways. They've found Elise, it seems.

"O-oh ! Big brother and big sisters !"

"Big sisters ?" asked Leo, before realizing what Elise was talking about. Beruka herself tilted her head to the left, but found herself accepting the title without any protestation.

"Felicia, are you okay ?" asked Corrin. The maid, Elise's hand still gripping hers, simply smiled, though she looked a bit dazed, aimlessly observing objects and touching the walls in silent wonder.

"I don't think she is." Said Camilla.

"Come on now, Elise. You're pretty much an adult now." Sighed Leo.

Elise attempted to blow him a raspberry but ultimately elected to fold her arms, attempting to look away in indignation.

"Now, now." Said Xander. "Let us make a good impression for Beruka and Corrin, now ! It is only their second night here, after all."

"Yes."

Beruka looked at Corrin and quietly approached him, holding his right hand with her left one.

"When will I get used to this ?"

"In a few… years, perhaps ?" He answered, nervously.

Beruka glanced over at the family, and nodded.

"I can manage."

…

**N/A : **Surprise ! I've elected to do something of a wrap-up chapter to the first part. An attempt at capping everything before the time-skip, if you will.

Said time-skip is coming within the next chapter ! Tomorrow, meet… Kana !

As usual, reviews and critics are appreciated !


	16. Of births and runs

Corrin knew that a hard life awaited Nohrian diplomats. They spoke for a nation that inflicted much harm to the world after all, and as someone who was still seen as the one behind so many tragedies by the world, the young dragon was, without a doubt, going to face troubles in his attempt to redeem himself from what he's done. It was a challenge that he was willing to take but, with each foray into foreign cities, he feared that he'd be greeted as the conqueror, not the envoy.

Well, except in Izumo.

Corrin was quietly laying on a mattress within the mighty Izumian castle, on a balcony that overlooked the garden. The sun shone without interferences from any clouds, illuminating the partygoers below in its light, to their wild delight. They drank and ran, sometimes stumbling over another, but always landing on soft grass. When one got too drunk, another joined the party, pulling the person out of the rumble and sending them to rest.

Even the other Nohrian diplomats were amusing themselves with the host. Corrin was about the only one who was stuck in his balcony, still clad in traditional Izumian attire, though he had an undershirt to conceal his scar. The months were kind to the prince, who looked healthier and even fitter than before. The pockets below his eyes vanished over the events of his diplomatic adventures, and he took some measures to attempt to heal his scar for good. It'd never vanish, perhaps, but at least, he could put up a lot of effort before bleeding.

Still, even if he was better, the prince was nervous, sticking to his spot without really moving, even as the sun was preparing to cook him alive. Reluctantly, he eventually took to the shadows, grabbing his mattress and moving back inside his room within the castle.

It was neat and tidy, a bit too large perhaps (to make place for a painting depicting him and Izana running together across a field of flowers) but he appreciated it nonetheless. The Shadow Yato was carefully laid next to his bed, on his right. On the left of the bed, he had more mundane objects, such as a small book on Izumian dialects and folklore, a romance novel and a diary of a sort. Some scattered papers laid nearby, though they were in a damaged state and the writing on them was crossed.

On a small table, there was a drawing of his wife. It was… very out-of-character (he doubted that she'd ever stand in front of the cherry blossoms trees with a parasol) but he appreciated the intention. Izana was eccentric but he was nonetheless a good man.

Corrin sat down on his bed and observed the room. He would've gladly invited Beruka, but alas, she refused, claiming that she shouldn't move around too much now that she was close to the later stages of the pregnancy, but still encouraging him to get there. He knew that she did so because Izumo was such a quiet country : there was no risks of him being attacked by anyone, and the ruler's fondness for parties made it an entertaining place to reside in.

He was truly thankful at Izana for helping him, but alas, Corrin knew that he'd need to return soon. He would've done so even earlier if he could, but it might have been disrespectful. And Kana was still some months away, meaning that he'd be able to come back at his own pace.

Still… He felt that it was unfair to just lazy around while his wife was alone at the castle. Corrin sighed and chose to get up. Perhaps he could ask Izana to send him back ? He's been in Izumo for a while after all, and the other Nohrians seemed to be fine on their own.

The young man turned around and leapt up in the air when he saw Izana casually standing over to the door leading to the room, holding up two sets of fans. Of all the rulers, he changed the least, perhaps, with the exception of having hair "even more beautiful than last year". Corrin was afraid to point out that he didn't really know what the spiritual leader of the country meant by this, but he learnt that it was better to roll with whatever he was doing.

Like showing up at his door in a flash.

"L-lord Izana !" said Corrin.

"Hello Corrin !" Answered Izana. "Are you doing alright ? Everything is chill ? You're good ? What's up ?"

"I'm… doing alright."

"Now, now. I'm not that easy to deceive !" said Izana. "I mean, even without all the future seeing, I'm not really that much of a ditz !"

"Apologies, lord Izana. I simply wish not to bother you with my personal issues though. Only the Dusk Dragon know just how much…"

"I owe you a lot though ! No need to be shy ! But if you intend to work like that, then… I order you to reveal the sources of your trouble to me." He continued, pointing.

While he still kept his friendly tone, there was something of a commanding edge to his words. Nothing threatening or dangerous, but Corrin knew that Izana's joke actually wasn't one, as usual with him.

"I'm about to be a father and yet, I'm here, at Izumo."

"Well, why would you even go to Izumo then, sharp stuff ?" Answered the white-haired lord, though he had his friendly tone to him nonetheless.

"Nohr did a lot of wrong to your country."

"That little stint with Zola ? Ah ! Well, it wasn't your fault. Why, you even saved me ! Truth to be told, that jester was going to cause a lot of troubles to his own country !"

As it turned out, attempting to attack the spiritual leader of Izumo, the "friend" of the gods, was an ill-thought decision on Zola's part, mostly because of the punishment that would've been inflicted by said friends.

"I forgave Nohr long ago, no worries, friend ! You should go back to your home immediately ! As much as I'm going to miss our pajamas parties…"

"Are you sure about that ? I apologize for doubting you, milord, but it would be rude to depart in such a manner. Surely…"

"Well, of course you can leave tomorrow ! I'd appreciate one last opportunity to party with ya ! Buuuttt you really should make a run for it, or you'll miss Kana's birth !"

Corrin stared blankly into space, and Izana quietly handed him his fan, keeping his cheerful smile.

"Yeah, that's why I'm visiting you ! I saw that you were a little down, so I decided to peer a little into the next days thanks to the gods ! And I foresaw a happy little baby and her grumpy mommy ! And if you ask, the pointy ears are a dead give-away."

The "hero of Nohr" was not one to trust fortune-telling, but alas, he knew that the birth of his baby would be a bit special. After all, she'll have draconic features like him. And beside, Izana was giving him a way out, which he appreciated enough. Not that he disliked Izumo, but he felt a little homesick perhaps, and wanted to be with the newest princess.

"Thank you Izana ! I'm going to go back !"

"Good ! Shall I get you a fine horse ?"

"If you want ! I'll make the rest on foot though."

Corrin began to grab everything in sight, and Izana's eyes briefly opened at the mention of the prince straight-up crossing through that much distance _on foot_, even with the help of an horse.

"That seems dangerous ! But, tell you what, if you do reach it on foot, I'm going to shave my hair, haha !"

…

Corrin, bag at the ready, was in the process of galloping through the streets of Izumo. The horse was quite fast and durable, but he knew that he'd need to continue the rest of the trip on his own, though he intended to put the horse in a safe place before doing so.

If he could, he'd just access his otherworldly castle to quietly teleport to Windmire, but he needed Lilith's help to really access it.

Corrin had some days to pretty much cross a continent to get to his wife, with only the help of a horse for the first part of the trip. But like hell he was going to let such a meager thing prevent him from being present for Kana's birth !

…

"Wow, Beruka, you're good at knitting !"

Beruka quietly held up a little skull, made out of wool. Elise gasped a little but then silently held up her thumb. Effie didn't even bother with that, muttering under her breath as she attempted to stab a hole in the yarn without creating a big gaping hole in the fabric.

"Oh… a skull, that's pretty sinister." Said the woman, after looking up.

"Yes." Answered Beruka. "But the prompt of this session involved making whatever we wish. Elise, show yours, now."

Truth to be told, knitting wasn't very interesting. She did grow to master it, out of a refusal to be merely passable at such a skill, but Beruka didn't find much joy in it. It was such a… feminine kind of training, almost stereotypical. All three of the gathered women fought in a war and emerged victorious, and yet, here they stood, quietly making amusing little objects out of yarn ? How bizarre.

Then again, it was part of Elise's lesson, and the young princess called upon her friends to try to make the dull exercise more amusing. Beruka didn't quite get why she'd be called upon to _brighten up_ a situation, being quite calm and outright cold even now, but she didn't feel like asking.

"Look ! Here's a little pajama for Kana !" she said, holding up clothing fitting for a baby. Beruka nodded and "graciously" accepted those, though she couldn't help but notice the somewhat misshapen heart on the back.

"Kana shall appreciate the gift." Continued Beruka.

Meanwhile, Effie made something akin to a victory cry and held up her own little pajama, though the red color motif and stars indicated that it was meant for Percy. It was quite a bit bigger than the one meant for Kana, since the young boy was close to being about one year old.

"Whoah ! Impressive, Effie !"

"I used to snap those needles like twigs… I'm quite happy about my progress."

"Well, you only snapped those before the war ! Now you're just… whoah !"

Beruka laid the pajama and skull somewhere and leaned back, sighing a bit louder than she meant to. Before she could attempt to pretend that she didn't do anything, Elise's eyes locked unto her, ready to drill it out of her.

"Are you okay, Beruka ?"

"There's no shame in admitting that you're worried." Said Effie.

Was she that easy to read now ? The assassin should be happy at the idea that her emotions were more visible than before, but at the same time, being that easily read came off as unnerving somehow.

"A little."

"You're pretty close to giving birth." Said Effie. "It's only natural to be a bit worried."

"I just wish Corrin were here."

Beruka turned at Elise but said nothing for now. She did, however, understand the young woman. She missed him too, but the couple decided that they could afford some days being separated from one another. However, the wyvern rider soon realized that she missed the prince. The others weren't _bad_, perhaps, but they didn't quite reassure her as much as he did.

She could've tried to write him a letter, but alas, she felt that doing so would only cause him to do something reckless. He'll be back before the end of the month anyway, right ? Still, the former assassin nodded.

"Me too."

…

Corrin let go of the horse a bit earlier than excepted. The animal, after all, was still a living being, and carelessly using up all its stamina before dragging it to some shed would be cruel. In spite of the time that it'd waste, the prince insisted to put the horse at a village before continuing on foot.

He did so by running at incredible speed, deploying the fullest extent of his draconic agility and speed. He leapt past trees, jumped over large ravines and resumed running without any issue, effortlessly dashed past confused villagers and soldiers and barely stopped, if only to acquire some food in his bag, though this drove him to run even faster.

The prince was attempting to pretty much run through Dreiz in one day, perhaps two. The fastest vehicles available today would balk at the idea of crossing even half of it under similar conditions, and yet, he kept going, taking the most efficient paths available to him.

The prince was currently over the Bottomless Cannon, the site where pretty much everything started, but he didn't bother to contemplate the recent Nohrian architecture built over it or even pay any attention to the Hoshidian ones. Instead, he pressed on his legs once more and leapt high into the sky, over a ravine.

Swiftly, wings of a sort deployed and he allowed himself to glide, quietly taking the sight of the canyon and briefly contemplating the sheer insanity of his feat.

But if he had time to ponder, then he had time to run : The prince transformed a few meters above the ground and promptly began running again.

…

"Leo. I've read the book that you recommended to me." Began Beruka, standing at the royal library of Nohr. The dark prince of Nohr looked at her, first in irritation, then surprise, then confusion.

"… And ?" he said.

"It appears to lack deep themes. The Bold Bolide seems to be doing little of note beside capturing villains. He doesn't even appear until the third page. Why would the main character appear so late ? There is also a lack of reasoning behind the motivations of the antagonists. They appear to steal for pleasure and offer no explanations."

"Yes, Beruka. Because this is a book for babies."

Beruka considered his point and sat down, observing the red book between her hands, depicting a squirrel successfully catching miscreant rat thieves using a long yellow rope of a sort.

"… Indeed, my apologies."

"No need for such. But why would you take such literature seriously ? Your child is unlikely to care about anything else than the images for a while. I do have some good gateway books into a… higher manner of literature for later."

"I thank you for your efforts. But perhaps I should wait until she is of age beforehand."

Leo considered his own book and put it down for a moment.

"May I ask why you'd even analyze such writing in advance ?"

"Perhaps I am getting impatient. I can promise that this will not happen again, however. I'm quite aware of how bizarre my request was."

"You're getting anxious over Kana, hm ?"

Beruka considered the prince and opted to quietly nod. Leo smiled, but only slightly. Like her, he wasn't really one to really emote.

"Well, he's on his way back to the capital right now… According to Izumo's leader, though, he's doing so on foot ? He may be jesting. But at the very least, I except that an Izumian escort will soon bring him back. Do not worry over it."

"I did receive the letter. I do not believe that the Izumian leader is being eccentric."

Leo shook his head in disbelief.

…

His scar itched, his breathing was ragged and short, his muscles felt like they were barely held together and his once-noble clothing were positively drenched in sweat but, alas, Windmire was in sight.

It took him two days to perform it, and he was very likely going to need to spend the next one bedridden, but alas, he made it ! Still, he couldn't afford to take a break here : Not when he was so close to his goal !

"_Come on… just… a few more kilometers !"_

The barren landscape around him was soon replaced by the somewhat-more-pleasant sight of the streets of Windmire, and Corrin slowed down, aware that going at his speed in the streets was likely going to result in injuries or death for the passerbys. Luckily, he seemed to be arriving at the "dead hour" of the night, going by the emptiness of the streets.

A few people were out and about, but alas, he didn't stop to greet them. With one last effort, he finally stopped, and arrived in front of his villa. It was fairly easy to notice, being so close to the castle and all. It was a modest-by-noble's standards building, about two stories tall, with a garden in front of it and a black gate to keep intruders away.

In a more cruel twist of fate, perhaps Corrin would've realized that he forgot the key back at Izumo, or dropped them during his run, or forgot them all along in the house, but alas, a quick check of his bag led to the uncovering of the keys and, with unusual triumph, he opened the gate, grabbing the metal bars to attempt not to fall, spending about two minutes trying to resist the pull of fatigue.

He'd walk, but his legs violently resisted against the effort, and even his arms were struggling to hold himself up. The young prince looked down at the ground, wondering if he could crawl to the rest of the house, but luckily for him, he found himself interrupted in his thoughts.

Beruka stood before him, along with Felicia. The servant had a lantern and several knives in hand, ready to strike, and Beruka herself had an actual axe in hand, though she lowered it immediately upon noticing Corrin.

"… Corrin ? L-Lord Corrin ?! Aren't you…"

"Long…. story… need… bed… drink…"

"D-did you just do it ? You _ran_ from Izumo to her ? M-milord ! Such a feat is…"

The blue-haired woman smiled but didn't seem as surprised as the rest, putting her axe away and leaning in to support her husband. She only noticed too late just how drenched in sweat he was, but that didn't stop him. Nor did it stop Felicia.

"I'm sorry… I… wanted to be here for the… baby…so…"

"It's fine, Corrin. Come, let's get you cleaned up."

"L-Lady Beruka ! How can you be so nonchalant about this ?! This is insane ! I'd pinch myself if I could !"

Beruka simply quietly nodded, but then felt an odd sensation of a sort, "down here" (as inappropriate as it was). She only had some brief time to truly contemplate this, however : For soon, pain struck her stomach, causing her to kneel a bit forcefully ! At least however, she was able to hold unto Corrin, preventing him from falling down.

"O-oh no ! What's happening ?!" said Felicia, gripping her own hair with her bare hands. "S-someone help ?! Please ?!"

…..

"So you… just ran from Izumo all the way to Windmire ?!"

Silas was always one to be awe-struck by the superior physical abilities of the dragon prince, but apparently, this particular feat seemed to be too much even for him.

And while Corrin would've been quite eager to share the details of his mad dash, he was currently not in a position to really do so, staring blankly into space, though he seemed to be looking at the door leading to the room where the delivery was performed.

Nohrian hospices were left quite intact by the beast of Nohr. Yes, perhaps the wounded soldiers were sent back to war too soon and yes, perhaps they were overcrowded at times, but even Garon knew that he'd need a supply of soldiers to feed his army. And, as such, the building they were in was pretty clean and well-made by "Dark Ages" standard, lacking the usual bizarre viciousness that characterized Nohrian architecture of this time.

It may have been wiser to bring the couple to the villa, but its staff (after all, Felicia could not manage such an house alone), in its panic, deemed that the hospice was more well-equipped for the complicated process that was about to happen. The princess was immediately placed within a room, guarded by some zealous Nohrian guards, but the prince refused to seek treatment yet, confident that his draconic regeneration would take care of the problem affecting him.

It was only partly true : His power relied on stamina after all, and he was lacking in it. Corrin could only ever move thanks to Silas, who was informed of the complicated matter at hand and decided to intervene. The rest of the royals were informed as well, causing, apparently, quite the uproar. They couldn't quite drop everything and run to their brother, but at the same time, the birth of a new member of the royal family was hard to exactly miss.

It didn't help that the people of Windmire noticed the commotion and were determined to be present at the site where Kana was going to see the light of the day. Quite a few of them were gathered at the entrance of the building, held back by two knights of rather heavy stature. Luckily enough, they appeared to be content to sit back and watch for now, with some perhaps fearing that Corrin would slay them for daring to even get near.

For once, he was grateful about his dark reputation.

"Corrin, are you okay ?" Asked Silas.

"…Yeah…."

"I'm… glad about choosing to be present at that time. I just… knew, somehow, that something important was going to happen, you know ? But I guarantee that I definitely could never predict your arrival in here. You're… amazing !"

Corrin smiled, but it was more of an auto-pilot. Whenever someone said anything, he'd smile or say "yeah", as if his mind diverted whatever energy fueled his ability to hold conversations to hold him awake for just a few more seconds.

At the very least, he was cleaner, with the staff even bothering to offer him a uniform of some kind. He didn't look very dignified, clad in his white robe, but he didn't really care.

Silas, to his credit, attempted to get him to stay awake, and a maid also attempted to help with staves. But still, he felt like a zombie, and wondered how he was even going to hold his child or say something meaningful when he could barely string a four-letters-long word together.

When the door opened, Corrin didn't even react, causing the nurse just quietly stepped up to him and bent over, attempting to see if he was still alive, per chance.

"Lord Corrin, the baby has been delivered. Do you want to…"

"Y-yeah… please.."

The nurse quietly nodded, and Silas smiled giddily, quietly getting up and pointing at Corrin, as if asking if he could step into the room. The nurse shook her head, but a well-built man, dressed appropriately for the room (since Silas still had his armor on, not having bothered to change) and apparently tasked with ensuring that the prince would drag himself to see his daughter, stepped up.

The dragon prince barely bothered to react as he entered the room, with a sympathetic pat to the back from his best friend.

Upon arriving, he immediately looked ahead at the bed, where Beruka was present, almost seemingly quite exhausted by the effort. The staff shuffled around apprehensively as Corrin's tired eyes noticed a tiny little thing on her chest, with Beruka's arms wrapped protectively around it.

Briefly, his eyes locked into hers, and he looked down to notice that the baby had pointy ears, akin to his own, causing him to chuckle. He missed the part where he was, apparently, supposed to cut a cordon of a sort, but it was far too delicate for him to handle at the moment, which is why he didn't even bother to ask if he could hold it.

"She's a girl." Said a nearby doctor. "Are you alright, Lord Corrin ?"

"Better than… ever…"

And, with that, he practically fell unconscious.

…..

**A/N : **I'm probably not offering quite the accurate picture of a medical facility within a medieval facility, haha ! I've always imagined that Nohrian hospitals would be surprisingly developed though, if a bit overcrowded.

I was planning to do a thing with Izana at the very end, but it might be for later.

Kana is born ! We might see things from Beruka's perspective in the next chapter though !

Leave critics and reviews, they help !


	17. Of surprises and plushies

Beruka was trained to handle pain of all sorts. It was only part of her duty as an assassin, and it came to be handy during difficult contracts. Beside poisons, she has been bashed, blasted by magic, stabbed outright or shot with arrows, and none of those stopped her from performing her duties, be it as an assassin or as a soldier of Nohr during the war. It would take much to get one such as her to scream by this point.

The fact that she was contemplating doing so, at this very moment, spoke volumes on the sheer pain of childbirth. The available maid did try to soothe the pain before the delivery, using a staff, but pain still rippled all over her body, with enough strength to make even her hiss in pain. She refrained from yelling though, aware that poor Corrin would attempt to burst in and help.

The doctors ran everywhere around the room, but most were concentrating on the baby, constantly encouraging her to "push". She did so in answer, gripping the fabric of the bed and not reacting to the other encouragements or attempts at accolade by the group.

A nurse or two attempted to hold her hands, encouragingly, but Beruka felt that she'd snap their arms like twigs if she were to grab their hands, so she refrained from reacting, opting to focus on the most important person in the room.

It took only a few minutes perhaps, but from her perspective, hours were spent between the beginning of the birth and the baby's first cries, though, immediately after hearing those, she slowly felt her pain fade away. Oh, it wasn't instantly gone, no, but she slowly let go of the fabric of the bed, calmly breathing out in relief. The world went dark a few times, as if she wanted to go to sleep, but alas, she had more to do.

"It's a girl !" said the head doctor, holding the screaming baby carefully. She couldn't tell what it really (or rather, what she really) looked like from such a distance though, only nodding slowly. She grew a bit more awake when another doctor approached, scissors in hand, but luckily enough, they merely cut the cordon off. Usually, it was the father's duty, but said father was currently struggling to even remain standing, so perhaps it was for the best.

"Give her to me." Croaked Beruka. The man quickly nodded and approached Beruka, before placing Kana on her chest as carefully as he could. In spite of her pain and earlier comments relating to her strength, the assassin was very careful about grabbing the baby, slowly wrapping her arms around its back and holding it close, carefully staring at the newborn even as she cried into her ears.

It was undoubtedly a mess. She could, perhaps, see her father's ears or guess that it was a bigger baby than the average, but she felt like Percy, though somehow even weaker. A small, almost misshapen, noisy little red thing, crying her small heart out and desperately holding on to her mother.

And yet, Beruka could feel the sincerest joy escape from her heart, with a smile appearing on her lips. Temporarily, for the smallest instant, all her fears about motherhood vanished as she glanced at her baby.

_Her baby_.

She didn't care about how weak or noisy it was, for she felt something wonderful whenever she peered at it. Tears escaped her eyes, and she struggled to say something to her daughter.

"W-… welcome, Kana."

Briefly, a doctor approached, and Beruka felt ready to rip his arms off, fearing that he'd attempt to take the baby. Weakened as she was, she still felt like she could single-handedly take down about a dozen grown men if they even looked at the baby in a threatening manner. The man of science most wisely backed off as a result, raising his arms.

Then, an exhausted Corrin was brought to the room and Beruka attempted to angle herself so that he'd get a better angle at seeing his own daughter. She didn't know if he truly did, but at the very least, he was happy enough with the result. Or he was merely delirious, since he promptly fell unconscious. And, to her horror, it seemed that the grasp of exhaustion was also on her.

Slowly, she felt like she was drifting away, though she attempted to keep Kana close to her until she finally lost consciousness.

…

Kana was two days old, and was a very healthy baby, a bit larger and heavier than the average one at that too.

So far, she was bald, though the question of the hair color was irrelevant beside "what shade of blue ?". After receiving some cleaning from the staff, and also some feeding, she was placed back to her parents. Corrin himself was briefly put in a bed, but was out and about within a day, having recovered his stamina enough to be able to afford some walking around, though he'd still need a bit more rest.

Beruka herself felt fine, though somewhat sluggish. At the very least, she was fine with having food and water brought to her room, as embarrassing as it was to be cared for. Her thoughts were still somewhat hazy. When Kana was sleeping, she allowed herself to drift into sleep as well or merely thought about various unrelated events until she felt too tired.

She should be thinking about taking her old profession again or trying to re-organize her life now that Kana was here but, truth to be told, such thoughts seemed distant, as if covered by a fog. For now, she could only sit on her own bed, cross-legged. Her baby daughter was leaning against her arm and left leg, with Beruka's hand carefully stroking the newborn's head and holding it up.

Her adult husband was kneeling near the bed, head rested on her other leg, half-closed eyes quietly observing Kana.

The baby, very much like her father, wasn't very quiet, always cooing or grunting in some manner while attempting to reach for nearby objects. Her eyes were barely open as well.

Aside from her draconic features, Beruka couldn't quite tell what she passed on to her. But babies aren't just mish-mash of their parent's own features, and the girl was only days old : it was too early to really tell. Going by the way she was able to grip unto things, however, she could tell that Kana would likely inherit her father's powers as well, and even without his bizarre draconic form, he still possessed fantastic physical abilities in his human form.

She was lucky that the siblings and Gunter had experience with raising Corrin (well, the older siblings did), because otherwise, she'd be quite lost.

Briefly, she thought of her nightmares from months ago, and visualized the kind of life that'd led such an innocent little thing to become a ruthless slayer of innocents. And that's without mentioning their own violent lives thus far. One day, they'd need to warn her and explain what they did, but she feared that she'd grow scared or outright resentful, having been saddled with the sins of her parents.

After all, Kana was the daughter of Corrin, and this was not going to make her popular in Hoshido, a land that she'd be highly curious of. Without a doubt, Corrin's actions were going to impact her at a point. They were both aware of it, but the father was persuaded that she could be protected from such retribution in her helpless early years, though at the same time, he was the first to acknowledge that he'd need to speak with her at a point, to tell her the truth.

Beruka sighed, and then looked at the door as it swung open, revealing both Silas and Elise. She could notice that the paladin was able to let go of his weapons and armor, perhaps because it would be rather odd to greet a baby with those.

Corrin, upon sighting his best friend and "little sister", decided to get right back up, stretching his arms and back a little. Beruka, meanwhile, quietly approached her daughter. She knew that the duo was never going to harm her, or would ever consider doing so, but the young woman felt as if she just had to step in between Kana and whatever would approach her.

"Helllllo, Beruka ! Corrin ! Ohhhh, and little Kana !"

Kana, clad in her pajamas, "glanced" in Elise's direction but only because of the sound : her droopy eyes were unlikely to really recognize such complex shapes at this point in her life. It didn't stop the princess from quickly making her way over to the baby, kneeling in front of her and holding her hands up, as if excepting to high five the dragon's child.

"It's me, Elise ! I'm your auntie ! Heyah !"

To Elise's credit, the baby did something akin to a smile (though, according to the staff, it was merely a reflex) and then looked at her plushie, attempting to reach it once more. Realizing that lost herself in her thoughts, the wyvern rider grabbed the plush and handed it over to Kana, who kept the object in her hand. She couldn't see the dragon plush, but with her hands, she could feel it, which must've been reassuring for the baby. This is why Beruka was keeping her that close to her body all the time : Kana would instinctively know that her mother was near, and wouldn't end up worried as a result. She only ever put the young baby in her crib when she had to sleep.

"Awwwie look, she's smiling !"

"Indeed." Answered Beruka, petting her daughter's belly. "How amusing."

Meanwhile, Silas went for a friendly hug to Corrin, who accepted it much more graciously than before. The man was apparently Corrin's best friend back in their childhood, though the prince lost his memory of the event. And ever since the war's end, Silas has been hanging around, visiting them and asking them what was up.

He was unfortunately always just a bit busy. The occasional "so, I was coming back from a mission…" and usual, meaning that he never truly stuck around for too long, preventing him from grasping Corrin's troubles.

She could've warned him, perhaps, but Beruka was quite distant with Silas. For, as usual, while Corrin was everything to her, she was not ready to extend similar courtesy to the people around her. Silas's status as a best friend meant that he was around the duo more often than not, but she never really approached him in conversations or sought him out by herself.

In fact, whenever she greeted him, they just… sat there while Corrin was heading down to talk, or exchanged the usual "how are you doing ?" little tango when he took just a bit longer.

To put it concisely, she didn't quite know him well and neither did he, though he was always warm to her.

"Congratulations, Corrin, Beruka !" He said. "I'm… so proud of the both of you ! You went through so many obstacles together to get to this very moment !"

"No need to get so emotional, Silas !" Answered Corrin, with a little awkward laugh.

"Thank you."

Silas turned towards Beruka, and then looked down at Kana, still preoccupied with the plushie. He briefly pointed at her before crouching down, after receiving silent approval from both parents, holding up his smaller finger and pointing it at the baby. The dragon princess eventually managed to grab it and, by sheer reflexes, managed to grab it, wrapping her tiny fingers around it and looking at the object to investigate it.

"She's got quite a grip !"

"Take from us." Answered Corrin. After all, while her strength definitely wasn't supernatural like her husband, Beruka was still able to casually lift axes one handed and fight with them, and trained up said strength whenever she could.

Silas did eventually free himself though (as delicately as possible), and Kana opted to sit and watch, though Beruka opted that more people were not going to pour in. Already, the blue-haired princess could tell that her baby was getting just a bit more nervous, just going by the way her lips quivered just a little or the brief indignation on her face as Elise attempted to make silly faces.

"If you wanna ask." She said, pulling away from her little demonstration. "Xander, Leo and Camilla are planning a… surprise."

"Oh no." Said Corrin and Beruka, in sync. Their baby said something akin to "bwuh" soon after, as if attempting to keep up.

"Huh ? Why are you worried ?" promptly asked Elise.

"Well… Camilla is well intentioned but without proper supervision, she can be a little too generous with those." Attempted to explain Corrin. "We appreciate the intention ! A gift is a gift, but..."

"The wedding."

Everyone in the room, with an obvious exception, nodded. They stood in the same page at least.

"We do appreciate it, Elise ! But… we do want to make it a pretty quiet occasion. Everyone's a bit busy and we feel that it'd be selfish to try to get them to drop everything for Kana."

"Well, it is a new addition to the royal family… but I get your point." Said Silas.

"We should try to have Percy meet Kana though !" said Elise, and Beruka immediately thought of a rebuttal. Adults can be careful, but children are… people would want to say naïve, but "dumb" is more like it. They hardly grasp at concepts, and can be careless with managing objects because they overestimate the item's durability, underestimate their clumsiness or just toss it aside after use.

There was no way she was going to bestow her baby to a one-year old.

"Perhaps under their supervision. And I wish to avoid too much presence within the room. It is stressful for the baby."

She shifted slightly, and Corrin held the baby for her, as she took a more confortable position. After doing so, he carefully handed Kana over to her, and Beruka laid the new princess against her stomach, moving her hand to stroke the baby's forehead. They both silently appreciated just how efficiently and naturally it came to them, but the wyvern rider's peaceful contemplation came to an end when Silas began scratching the back of his head.

"Hm… that's too bad, I wanted to introduce someone."

"Who would it be ?" replied the curious prince.

Beruka didn't quite like where the conversation was going, especially when red crept on Silas's face.

"Well, I've begun a relationship, Corrin !"

"That's fantastic ! Why'd you wait to announce it ? You didn't want to try to turn the attention towards you shortly after the birth of my daughter, right ?"

"Why yes, how did you guess it ?"

"You're my best friend Silas, we think alike !"

Beruka quietly looked over at Elise, who seemed to be growing paler at the second, though she kept a graceful smile on.

"I hope you won't mind if I introduce her. She wanted to come along and I figured…."

"Of course !" blurted out Corrin, eager. And Beruka almost reached for something blunt to throw at him.

Silas briefly left the room, and then entered with his new companion.

She had a much more modest attire than before. Her blue dress, outlined with fur, covered her body much more than her berserker "uniform" ever did, with black high heels that made her walk just a bit stilted and her hands were covered by black gloves, but alas, they recognized her general height and build, her long blond hair, her piercing blue eyes and the pleasant little smile on her face.

At least Charlotte had no axe for this one.

….

**A/N : **Useless fact, but I visited some relatives and their newborn baby a week before writing this. It kind of inspired me with this scene as a result, though some elements were obviously different (like, I wasn't there during the childbirth, would've been pretty awkward).

Charlotte shows up ! No worry though, poor Silas didn't just fall into her trap. She had about a year and some months to change, after all !

Don't forget to leave critics and reviews alike !


	18. Of sleepy babies and mothers

Charlotte was not a bad person, and was never seen in the same light as, say, Peri. She was a woman with some obvious issues, to put it simply (though one could make a case that this defined nearly every single woman within the army) but she wasn't as blatantly dangerous as Peri. In downtime, it wasn't rare to see her engage in conversations with other members of the army, whereas the likes of Peri would probably be avoided or would only talk to her liege or fellow retainer.

However, Beruka never liked her much. She could perhaps emphasize with the fact that the woman hid her true feelings and identity behind a mask of a sort, but she never quite liked the berserker's "rivalry" of a sort with her. Charlotte was sweet with men and women of high rank, but her façade dropped quicker whenever people of lower ranks confronted her.

She was surprisingly non-confrontational about the matter of her wedding with a prince, but was, otherwise, passive-aggressive, and the assassin had no interest in petty verbal confrontations. She didn't quite avoid her, but she hardly humored her attempts at communications and always either shut her down or left. The two women, to put it simply, were not friends.

Her presence in the room was irritating to Beruka but, for the sake of a peaceful conversation, she opted to greet her with a small nod. Corrin, meanwhile, did a good job at hiding his actual reaction beneath a pleased smile. Then again, perhaps he was simply glad at seeing the woman, since he wasn't really one to avoid people, unless, once more, they were pretty blatant in their anti-social tendencies.

"Charlotte ! It's so good to see you again !"

"Oh, Lord Corrin, Beruka ! Congratulations for the baby !" said the blonde, promptly shaking his hand. "I heard that you ran through Dreiz just to get there in time ! You're such a good father !"

"Haha, too bad I was out of breath and couldn't really witness the actual birth !" He said. "So, you and Silas got together, right ?"

Silas was high-ranked in the military with his actions during the war, but he wasn't exactly of noble rank. Perhaps Charlotte was using him as a ladder of a sort, attempting to climb to a position where she'd see blue-blooded men to subsequently latch on. Quite the cold tactic, and it'd probably thoroughly upset the prince, but not surprising. Or, and that would be surprising, they truly were in love.

She didn't care much about the story behind it, but it was, without a doubt, probably going to receive vivid details from the both of them anyhow.

"Yeah ! We met again over the course of the previous months and we discovered each other's qualities !" Described Charlotte.

"I know that I should probably not hid it from you, Corrin, but she said that it'd be best to keep it as a surprise to see with your own eyes. Letters aren't really exciting, after all…"

Corrin nodded with great energy.

"It's alright ! I'm glad for the two of you !"

"And so am I."

Charlotte turned to eye Kana, who was still oblivious to her. Beruka smiled, trying not to look strained.

"Awwww, lookie ! She's so cute !"

The blonde woman crouched in front of Kana but was fairly restrained in her interaction with her, opting to stroke her hand. The assassin was pleasantly surprised, having excepted a rough attempt at a hug of a sort. Kana didn't really react, observing the window or, rather, the vague direction of the window.

"She has her father's ears !" Said Elise, finally intervening. "I bet she'll have his eyes, too ! Or Beruka's super serious eyes !"

Beruka quietly frowned at that.

"Yeah, she has some of my features. Though I hope she won't be turning into a dragon anytime soon."

Silas attempted to laugh in answer, but Corrin and Beruka shook their heads. The comment was not in jest, for Corrin's dragon form was rather powerful, yes. He only ever transformed once or twice in the war, but whenever he did so, whoever he was facing ended up easily thrashed, no matter how strong they were. If Kana ever ended up with similar morphing abilities, then controlling her would be troublesome.

"Sorry about that, Silas ! But… well, it might be difficult to raise her easily. She might require more food than the average baby, for starter."

"And she might break objects by accident, as well."

Charlotte was still busy with distracting Kana, grabbing her plushie and holding it up. The baby grasped it as first, but accidentally let go of it while doing so. This caused her to look down, briefly, before attempting to re-acquire the object. The blonde did seems to listen, but was seemingly entranced by the baby. That, or it was a way not to interact with the baby's mother.

"Right. Well, Xander and Camilla did raise you, right ? They know how to do that."

"Well, true but they had their own duties. Gunter had to handle me. I don't want to downplay what they did, of course ! But as a toddler, I was raised by him."

Corrin smiled, but Beruka could see his eyes fall slightly. The only people in the world who knew what it would take to raise a baby hybrid dragon were all in graves, something that the others realized.

"Well, where is Gunter then ?" asked Silas.

"I don't really know. He and I went our separate ways. He suffered during the war, and I feel like he should be able to enjoy his retirement without further complications. It was always his wish, and I felt like it'd be unjust to drag him out of wherever he is."

"He is your surrogate father." Said Silas. "Come on now, surely he'd go back to Windmire to get to see your daughter !"

"Maybe they're trying to find Gunter ?"

"They're going to have him brought to the room with a little wrap around him ?" joked Corrin.

"Oh, speaking of that, Corrin, we…"

Whatever Silas wanted to say, he was too slow to elaborate on it : Kana cut him off with a sudden crying fit, though it wasn't Charlotte's fault nor that of Elise, who attempted to calm her with some grimace. She couldn't smell anything (even when she lifted the baby, gently, to her face) and it had no real reason to be upset, so Beruka suspected that the child of the dragon was hungry.

Charlotte observed, tilting her head in confusion. Elise, however, guessed what was going to happen and raised her hands, attempting to push the two out of the room slowly. Corrin himself took some seconds to react to the event, attempting to see if there was any food nearby.

"She's just hungry, Corrin."

Beruka contemplated the door a little, realizing that Silas wanted to say something that could be, perhaps, important to them. As a result, she nodded at him and pointed out the hallway, though he obviously wasn't going to just run off and leave both wife and kid behind.

"Could you please fetch some food ? She seems to take after you when it comes to hunger." Attested Beruka. This joke landed, going by Corrin's smirk, even if he seemed a little nervous.

"Are you sure ? I…"

"Please, Corrin, I can handle this."

He nodded and left the room quickly, while Kana was still attempting to cry. Beruka looked down and started to unbutton her shirt with one hand, holding Kana with the other.

…

Beruka hoisted Kana in the air a little and gently brought her over her shoulder, before tapping her in the back a little, prompting the baby to burp. Then, she bothered to rebutton her shirt, keeping the baby steady with her forearm (though Kana was already doing a good job at it, with her tight grip) before quietly picking her up once more, attempting to cradle her.

Luckily, Kana seemed to be in the mood for rest after eating, though Beruka knew better than to just put her in the crib. She was very easily upset by any lack of contact with her parent's arms after all. Well, all babies were like that, but the woman found herself stressed whenever her baby was crying, prompting her to try to make sure that Kana was fully sleeping before she was put on the crib.

She pondered, as she slowly attempted to rock Kana in her arms. The baby cooed a few times, but seemed willing enough to go to sleep.

For now, the baby was safe. But one day, she will need to face danger. Destiny will it so, after all. The peace will not hold forever, the continent might end up besieged by the Countries From Beyond The Sea or the Invaders... and Kana will need to take up the Yato or, at best, a descendant will. This little thing, small enough to fit in her arms, will one day need to go through pain and hardship and fight for her life, and there was a chance, perhaps, that Beruka would not be here for her at the time.

The assassin knew that she'd need to train her in preparation but she didn't want to walk into her master's footsteps or accidentally create the woman that she saw in her dreams, but at the same time, that eternal wall appeared in her head, whenever she thought about what she'd teach and pass on to the new generation : what, beside killing, could she teach to Kana ?

Briefly, she regretted even making a child, and condemning her to a most vicious fate, but then Beruka shook her head. To let such thoughts invade her head was a major showing of weakness on her part. She'd fulfill the duty of raising Kana like she fulfilled her other duties thus far and would provide her with, at the very least, an happy childhood !

She had to repeat it to ease her thoughts. But even then, she knew that it'd come back inevitably. Within the same day, week or month at most, the princess would find herself thinking of their child's future once more, and would perhaps use a similar mantra to dissuade her thoughts again. And the vicious tango would inevitably resume, though she considered talking about it to Corrin.

Light snoring interrupted her train of thoughts, and Beruka looked down to find Kana, perfectly asleep in her hands. Apparently, she was already used enough to the motion to perform it without thinking. She smiled slightly, in spite of herself, and slowly got up, unwilling to waste away her efforts by accidentally waking up Kana. As gently as ever, she then laid her down in crib, putting a little blanket on her.

The new mother sat down and awaited a sudden burst of tears, or a grunt, or any indication that Kana would walk up but it seemed that all was good within her child's small world.

Beruka looked around at the room, perhaps out of boredom. It was neat, but there was a pile of gifts or drawing. Some _were_ expertly done (though she didn't have much of an appreciation for such art), but others were just a bit less professional. She briefly glanced at one drawing, perhaps made by Elise, accompanied by a red, blue and yellow clay statue of Arthur. Percy's handiwork, she presumed.

It'd take some time for Corrin to return, and the princess found herself a bit more tired than usual with the recent events she went through. She'd need to train to gain back her former strength in the future, but as of right now, a short nap seemed more appealing, though she feared that the father would burst back in, eager to announce whatever info or special gift he obtained out of his older siblings. Knowing that such a rude awakening was very possible, Beruka promptly got into her bed and put the cover on herself, allowing herself to drift away.

Perhaps she'd catch a happy dream.

…

**A/N : **Short chapter, I know ! But sometimes, quality beat quantity, and I hope that this will be the case for this particular chapter !

I'm spending a lot of time on Beruka's issues with her motherhood, but she is an assassin after all, so it's natural that she'd find herself doubting of her ability to correctly manage a child and get her not to follow her path in life !

Any reviews or critics are very much appreciated !

I thought of asking, per chance : Would you mind a "counterpart" fic, that'd be Post-Birthright ? Or would you like a prequel of a sort to this one, showing how Conquest went ? You're welcome to comment on it ! Of course, this one isn't over, but I'd rather ready a future plot before I'm done with this one.

See you next time !


	19. Of boxes and carriages

Corrin uneasily looked back at the door that led to Beruka's room. Even with the guards placed everywhere around the building, he couldn't help but feel guilty whenever he quit the room even for a second, as if being separated from baby and daughter would make him an eternal failure at being a husband and father, even if he knew that she was unlikely to mind.

"Don't worry, Corrin. It won't be long." Reassured Silas, as the group walked down the halls. Civilians walked around, but most of them were actually soldiers in disguise, waiting for some assassins to attempts to break through or reveal themselves. Silas was quick to silently point them out, in an attempt to encourage Corrin, but the young man was more unnerved than anything at the idea of some many hidden soldiers being present, though he didn't quite react like that, opting to smile and nod.

He was quite sure that Hoshido had more security than the hospital and yet… no, no, there's no need to focus on that. The blue-haired prince shook his head, though he knew that the thought would be gnawing at him until his eventual return to the room.

"So, what manner of food are we getting ?"

"We're going to get it from Krakenburg !"

"That's a bit… far, don't you think ?" Said Corrin. "It's… not that I'm not being mistrustful or underestimating our guards but…"

"That's understandable, Corrin." Offered Silas. "But don't worry, no one is entering the room that easily, and we've got spells to prevent anyone from just warping in."

"They're made by Leo." Continued Elise. "So you know that they work !"

Charlotte seemed a little distracted, though perhaps she knew that Silas and Elise already told her everything Corrin had to know. The dragon prince allowed his stress to lower a little, but he never really stopped fidgeting with his hands, awkwardly looking around at the entrance of the hospital, looking at the crowd in front of the building and trying to conceal his fear behind a smile.

A carriage was waiting and, luckily enough for Corrin, it had some curtains, allowing him to put them over the windows and drop his smile for a little while. Charlotte sat next to Silas, wrapping her arm around his torso, and Elise proceeded to plump down next to the prince. Aware that he was still a bit stressed, she attempted to pat him in the back, in a sympathetic manner.

"Don't worry about it, it'll be done quickly !"

"I… I do hope that I'm not annoying you. I'm just a bit worried at the idea that, well, anything could happen."

"Well, you are a new father." Shrugged Charlotte. "It'd be just so sad if you were to leave them behind just to party ! Feeling guilt is good !"

Silence briefly fell, with the prince shifting his position many times over within a minute. The crowd present in Windmire meant that moving around the street was difficult, even with the path seemingly cleared in advance.

He wasn't very confortable with the news being spread that far, mostly because he feared that the noise would awake the baby or that the sheer number of people gathered would invite a vengeful Hoshidian to attempt something.

Of course, the prince knew that he should be concerned with his status as the father of a beautiful baby, instead of seemingly living in fear of invisible enemies, but he was one to easily worry, and the birth of Kana threw his instincts into overdrive. Beruka was weakened by the birth and the child of the dragon was but a helpless baby. Corrin was tasked with protecting them both until they either recovered or gained the power to stand up for themselves.

And getting paranoid over everything was part of it. Perhaps he'd need to consult Arthur on this.

"So, what do you plan on teaching Kana ?" asked Charlotte, attempting to break the ice that settled in.

"Well, first and foremost, raise her with love. She'll be the first princess born after Garon's reign, so she'll get to grow up in a better Nohr… I mean, not that it was bad before, but…"

"We had a slime monster sitting on the throne, Corrin. I do think it was pretty bad." Answered Charlotte. The fact that she didn't correct herself meant that she was, perhaps, a bit less uptight about her masquerade. Or knew that everyone in the carriage was aware of her nature.

Still, though, she was honest. Not just rude.

"I mean… yeah, she'll see a brighter Nohr, without da-Garon's evil."

"Yeah…" said Corrin. "Though I think that we'll need to train her to fight, at some point. I don't want to toss her into conflict, though, but she'll need to be able to defend herself."

"With her parents, she'll probably end up being the best warrior this side of Dreiz ! Xander is going to have competition in… 15 years, top !"

"I don't know about that, Elise ! Xander is still a mighty warrior, with an even mightier sword ! And beside…"

"Beruka does not want to just pass on her fighting skills, I think…" Interrupted Corrin, "And I understand her."

Charlotte seemed to ponder a little but whatever she meant to say never escaped her mouth. Instead, she crossed her legs, seemingly pondering on what to say next.

"So, how have you been holding up, Charlotte ?"

"I've been doing good, Lord Corrin !"

"You can just call me Corrin." He said. "I don't like being called… Lord too much, it sounds creepy."

"Alright, well, you know, I've been well. I thought back on my life and decided that I should leave my post at the frontier, since it's pretty dreadful."

"Is Benny still there ?"

"Benny ? Oh, yeah, ever the dutiful man ! I asked him if he wanted to leave, but he was content with his position. A shame that he's still working for that Daniela harpy but… oh well."

Corrin quietly nodded. The large man has always been pretty quiet yet dutiful. He took heavy blows for his teammates, intervened to help them and his quirk was tame compared to Peri's.

"I'm glad that you me… well, got in a relationship with Silas, he's a nice guy."

"Awww, everyone around me is starting to get married !" complained Elise. "But whenever I attempt to get someone, they're just too intimidated by Xander."

"Getting into a relationship isn't so easy, Elise. I don't mean to imply that you can't have one, but at your age, it's better that you wait." Recommended the young man. "Though even when you'll be of age, the others might just end up trying to protect you anyway !"

"Well maybe they should focus on themselves." Answered the princess to her brother, though the tone was childish rather than bitter. She seemed to realize it, since her next line was a bit more mature-sounding.

"Xander should focus on that ! He's the king, after all."

"Indeed, and this means that he might not be able to really focus on his relationship. I don't doubt that Xander will find himself a wife though, but it might occur in two years."

"Hm… who could he marry ?" Wondered Elise. "Nyx is… do we even know where she is ?"

"I mean… he's the king but with all due respects, and with full knowledge of Nyx's condition, it's a bit weird…" Said Silas.

"Felicia ?" said Corrin, joining the game. Obviously, there was a wider array of strong women, but he preferred using the people he knew the most. Of course, this was only in jest : Felicia, Nyx and the other women were much more than simple romantic objects for Xander, and he didn't mean to disrespect them.

"Felicia as a queen ?" said Charlotte, before snorting. Silas made a shocked expression, but Corrin had to agree, though he would've perhaps done so less rudely.

"Well, she's grown much more delicate."

"Of course, but she lacks the… oomph of a queen, you know ?"

"I see what you mean. I do think that she has what it take though." Declared Corrin. Charlotte chose to agree to disagree with a shrug.

"… Peri." Said Elise, with the four of them immediately breaking into a laughing fit. Well, Corrin attempted to be restrained, out of respect for the woman's battle against her skewed morality, and so did Silas and Elise, but Charlotte kept laughing. Outside of the carriage, the sound was such that a nearby civilian, struggling to stay awake in his balcony, leapt several feet upward before running off into his room.

"No, noooo, that's… a bit mean, wouldn't you agree ?"

"Well, Peri was a crazed maniac. I get what you're getting at but it's a bit hard to accept that she's good now. It's just so… weird, even months later."

Silas leaned in to add unto Charlotte's words.

"I wouldn't go as far as saying that she's a crazed maniac…"

"She totally is though." Said Charlotte, and Corrin found himself nodding by accident.

"… Well, perhaps she is, but she isn't anymore !"

"That's very nice of you to say, Silas, but still, you have to admit that it's a bit bizarre, right ?"

"I think it's more of a success, really. Xander want to show that even the "worst"." Air quotes. "Of us can improve with the proper treatment."

"Somehow, I don't feel like this would've worked with Hans." Said Charlotte.

"Hans was evil out of choice, whereas Peri just need help."

"Perhaps we should consider what could lead people to becoming evil. I mean… it's a bit cynical to just think that people are born evil, right ? I. I get that Iago and Hans did terrible things with no remorse, and I don't mean that we should pity them ! But we should try to prevent whatever could lead normal people into following their path."

"See, that's spoken like a true princess, Elise !" Declared Corrin, to Elise's obvious gratification !

"Thanks !"

"Say, how did you react when Peri came up ?"

"I was intending to train and I found her, we fought a little and then I visited her manor along with everyone."

"Her manor ? Ohh…"

"Yeah, it's a bit creepy but she's just trying, you know ? We should encourage that instead of mocking her."

"It's kind of hard to really just casually interact with her though."

"Why not ? She's not going to just.. attack you mid-speech, right ?"

"I mean, I kinda did during the war. Well, assumed that she'd attack me out of nowhere."

"She's got an explosive temper, ya know ? Everyone else was pretty collected usually." Said Charlotte. At which point, the three other Nohrians stared at her, in blank disbelief.

"Okay, okay, maybe not me !"

"Selena was pretty angry at times." Commented Corrin. "But she's a good person."

"Odin wasn't exactly collected himself." Added Silas, humorously. "Laslow was pretty calm, though."

"A shame that they just left though ! It's always kind of weird when someone just depart without saying anything, right ? Like… you didn't matter too much to them in the end, or at least, not to a point where they'll say goodbye to you." Commented Elise, causing Corrin to wonder.

"I met Selena, some months ago. I think she said her goodbye to Beruka."

"I guess they were friends in the end." Continued Charlotte. "Well, no offenses, but it's always hard to really guess what Beruka think of you unless she tell it so."

"Really ?"

"Yeap, darling ! I'm quite good at guessing what people think ! There's a lot of ways, to give an example, to know when someone has disdain for you. Or when they're in love but refuse to tell it ! Or have noticed something troubling but won't say it. But see, with Beruka, it's really impossible to tell. Well, when I knew her."

"She smiles pretty often to me."

"That's not really surprising… well, what's surprising is her wedding Can I say that I'm surprised ?"

"Everyone is." Answered Corrin.

"Can I ask what lead you to… just wed one another ? You seemed different from one another."

"Opposites attract, don't they ?" he replied. "We influence one another and she's a very kind woman beneath her mask."

"You do make a lovely couple." Said Silas.

"But… well, there might be a little issue." Continued Charlotte. Corrin tilted his head but said nothing.

"Oh, nevermind. I'm just being pessimistic."

"It's alright, do tell !"

"… Well, how do you plan on telling Kana about, well, the whole assassin thing ?"

"That's an… interesting question." Replied Corrin, as diplomatically as possible. Silas appeared a little indignated, but the prince kept his composure. Charlotte, aware that she slipped up, said nothing to follow up on, and the rest of the trip was short yet uneventful.

…

Krakenburg's halls looked definitely cheerier. There was no great banner or attempt to announce the birth of a new royal, luckily, but Xander definitely left some of the decoration work to Camilla.

He could tell because the entrance hall had a large painting of Beruka and Corrin, draped in black, holding a little baby. Perhaps to avoid unfortunately depicting a future Nohrian prince as a princess, only the baby's innocent little face could be seen, with a tiny little smile on it. Corrin smiled at it, but he could tell that Beruka wouldn't. It exposed her too much. Or so she'd say.

Walking down the hall with Elise (both Charlotte and Silas handed the "food" duty, to the former's visible yet silent displeasure), Corrin was surprised to see Xander awaiting him near the throne room. He was even more surprised when the Nohrian king opted to outright embrace him, patting him in the back even. Had Corrin been a prouder man, he would've been embarrassed perhaps, but he knew that it was a special occasion and said nothing.

"Ha, forgive me Corrin." Said Xander. "I might've gotten caught up in the moment."

"Have patience, brother." Interrupted Leo, quite eager to step out of the shadows once more. "Camilla is the clingy one."

"Aww, Leo, you break my heart."

The Nohrian princess arrived in the room, though she didn't quite hug Corrin : she was, after all, carrying two heavy boxes of a sort.

"Congratulations on the baby, Corrin." Declared Leo. "We do not intend to keep you here too much."

"W-well, it's fine. I appreciate any moment spent with you all." Admittedly lied the youngest prince, since he was looking to head back to Beruka's room within a prompt delay after all.

"We do appreciate that." Laughed Xander. "But we wanted to perhaps offer you this gift in person. Coming directly to the hospital would be complicated for us, and we wanted to gift you this in person."

"All together." Assured Elise, explaining why she didn't just give him the object.

Corrin smiled, and pointed at the box held by Camilla (well, one). Xander shook his head.

"Only pajamas for Kana, dear !"

Leo raised his hand and, in a flash of light, a tiny box of a kind appeared within his palm. It was black and intricate, with numerous yellow markings over it. Upon touching it, Corrin felt something akin to when he grasped the hilt of Shadow Yato, comparable to how it'd feel to reach deep into water of some kind. Grasping the object, the young man looked up at his family.

With a synchronized nod, they made him understood what the box's purpose was (for a box, no matter how pretty it is, is seeked nor what is it, but for what it contain) and, slowly, began opening it…

…..

**A/N **: Cliffhanger !

On the matter of Hoshidian Corrin (who'd be named Kamui) or a prequel to Nohrian Corrin, what do you all think ? I'll be asking this one multiple times until I get answers :p

Don't forget to leave reviews and critics !


	20. Of stones and meetings

Beruka stood in front of a gigantic cake, along with Corrin. The blue cake was of enormous size, perhaps surpassing even her own height. Looking up, she could see that it had two small figures at the very top of it, representing Beruka and Corrin respectively. Both were holding hands and smiling, which was admittedly sweet, though she didn't understand why Camilla had them standing on some dead Facelesses.

She could perhaps ask her, though, since the Princess was right behind them, holding a knife. Her and only her of course, since everything else around them was barren : the trio was standing on a wooden platform, with a wall behind them, and everything else around them was essentially the Nohrian countryside, which wasn't very pleasant or brimming with life.

"Beruka, will you take Corrin of Nohr as your spouse ?" said Camilla.

"Yes." Answered Beruka. "To live forever, and if death were to separate us, then may we reunite in the afterlife."

"Goooooooood !" Declared Camilla, spinning around to meet Corrin. It took her some time, but Beruka could see Kana's tiny little head peeking out of his hair, in confusion. The assassin, however, didn't even react to it, treating such occurrence as if it were common.

"Corrin, will you take Beruka of Nohr as your spouse ?"

"Yes." Said Corrin. "To live forever, and if death…"

"Yeah yeah." Said the Princess. "You may kiss, unless anyone want to protest !"

"I DO !"

The couple glanced in surprise, and turned to face Selena, who… appeared out of nowhere ? Her miraculous appearance went unnoticed by the trio though (Kana having disappeared back into Corrin's hair), who seemed more annoyed with the fact that she ruined the wedding.

"HOW DARE YOU ?!" said Camilla, grasping an axe out of nowhere. "HOW DARE YOU STAND BETWEEN TWO LOVERS ?!"

"Fool ! Someone is already standing between these two lovers ! I am saving your marriage !"

They all turned towards the cake, in sync, for reasons that were soon revealed : the cake had actually been Zola all along, with the small jester attempting to keep the illusion by covering himself in cream. Everyone, once more, shook their head in a synchronized manner and wagged their finger in a similar eerie unity.

"You could say, perhaps, that the cake… was a"

Camilla bashed Zola in the face with her axe, causing a loud noise. So loud, in fact, that it shook her dream world, waking her up from the short nap.

The woman found herself back in her hospital room but didn't quite raise out of her bed yet, carefully opening at least one eye to attempt to analyze the room. She had no weapons on her, but the assassin was experienced with killing people using her hands alone. It would perhaps be harder, in her weakened state, but she was fully ready to wrap her hands around any intruder's throat and break it like a twig, no matter how tired she felt.

Luckily enough, for the intruder, he chose to remain at his spot, having opened the door in quite the noticeable manner beforehand. Beruka relaxed as she spotted Corrin, though when she saw his expression, face on his mouth in shock, she immediately got up to check on Kana, fearful that something had happened to the baby during her absence. The way she outright lunged out of bed seemed to surprise the prince, though he recovered quickly enough to close the door behind him.

In the crib, Kana still stood, sleeping away peacefully. She did move a little, in reaction at her mother's outburst, but she ultimately remained asleep after her shifting. Beruka sighed and sat back down, glancing at Corrin.

"O-oh, I'm sorr…"

Corrin took the time to glance at Kana and sat next to Beruka, choosing to speak at a lower volume. She appreciated it as well, since her ears were somewhat buzzing.

"Sorry, sorry… anyway, err, you know…"

Beruka silently held her hands open, closed them, and opened them again, though she only raised four fingers the next time. Corrin, realizing what she meant to do, nodded and started to breath in and out, only allowing himself to speak after ten seconds of it. He slowly held up his box, smiling.

"Look, it's… a gift from the rest of the family."

"That's wonderful." Assured Beruka, though she hoped he'd open it soon. "What's inside ?"

Corrin smiled, and promptly did so, before carefully showing the box' contents to her : It was a pretty little stone, marked with a sigil depicting a dragon's head. While she herself was but a human, she felt a deeper instinct reaching in, reacting to the ancient power within the object. Its surface was sooth and clear, allowing her to see the green light that was brimming inside of it.

It was roughly the size of her hand, though she didn't dare to touch it. No need to guess what it was, though Beruka allowed surprise to creep on her face.

"… A dragonstone."

"Yes." Said Corrin. "Remember when they promised to help me with it ? Well, here it is. It's a gift for Kana later, when she'll need to control her transformation."

"That is a precious gift indeed… though we will need to preserve it until her adolescence."

"Dragonstones are practically invulnerable." Said Corrin. "You remember when Takumi shot it out of my hand ?"

He was mentioning Takumi without pausing, which pleased Beruka. As time flew by, he seemed to be more and more capable with dealing with his trauma. It'd always be there, perhaps, but the prince was no longer afraid of it to the point where it was making him miserable. The former assassin leaned back and put her chin on her fist, observing the new father with something akin to both love and admiration.

"Yes… and then you defeated him without it."

"Yeah, that… was great too. But, if Takumi's arrows were unable to even scratch my Dragonstone, then there's not much to worry. You're right that we should be careful but…"

He observed the stone carefully. His eyes just seemed to temporarily grow a bit "wilder" as he gazed into those, though he always went back to normal immediately afterwards.

She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't interested in how he became a dragon. It obviously wasn't a power that both his father and mother had access to, and the rest of the royal families's draconic powers were lesser, manifesting themselves in similar enhanced physical and magical talents and the ability to summon Dragon Veins, but stopping at such transformations.

Beruka saw drawngs of Sumeragi and Mikoto, and it was clear that Corrin was… well, she could perhaps see the resemblance between the late Queen and her husband. They had the same mole on the face as well as similar facial expressions to a degree (merely going by drawings, though, that she paid little attention to). But Sumeragi had regular hair and eyes…

Was Corrin aware of this ? On one hand, he likely was, on the other, he has had enough troubles over his bloodline already. Perhaps this was a mystery to be buried. It was worth noting, once more, that the people who would've known the answer to this question are all dead after all, bar, perhaps, Corrin's mystery father, who had an affaire with a Hoshidian queen and successfully avoided punishment from Sumeragi.

Was there, somewhere in Dreiz, a man with red eyes and blue hair, roaming the land, unaware of his son ? Where did _he_ come from ? How could such a unique bloodline, one that led to a child who shook the world, not be well-known ? Beruka shook her head. Corrin's father was far away from now, but her daughter and Corrin himself were with her in the room.

"… You know, I'd need to be pretty dumb to break it."

"Just don't hand it over to Arthur." She said, smiling. He actually laughed at that one, too !

"Do you think we could give it to her ?"

"No, have you seen the size of the stone ? It's about half as wide as Kana." Protested Beruka, though his smile indicated that it was naught but a joke as well.

"Oh… and, huh, the food. It's coming soon. I crossed the city on foot to.."

"Corrin, you just barely recovered from your last stunt."

"Hey, at this point, running through a city is pretty easy…"

The blue-haired prince got up and observed his baby daughter again, before scratching the back of his head. She wondered if Kana was going to inherit that particular habit soon.

"It's probably not going to be easy." Said Corrin. "Taking care of a baby."

"You saved the world from Garon."

"We did." He insisted, holding his hands out. In answer, she joined her hands with his, and they both looked at one another.

"Things might be tough, Corrin." Said Beruka. "But we'll manage."

"… Yeah." He answered, after a slight pause. "We'll do just fine !"

…

"UWWWAAAAAAHHHHHHH ! UWAAHHHHHHHHHHH !"

"… Corrin…"

"Yeah… yeah…"

Corrin rolled to the left, where Kana's crib was located, and peered into it. As usual, the baby was seemingly crying because of the darkness, flailing her arms as she unleashed the full might of her tiny lungs unto her parent's ears. Luckily enough, the sight of her father's tired-yet-cheerful face put a very quick stop to her tears. After a few seconds, she even heard some cooing escape the crib, with the father putting his hand within the crib to tickle her a few times on the belly.

She laughed, this time, albeit softly, and then the blue-haired proceeded to let her play with his fingers a little, sometimes "riposting" playfully and gently. This was a dubious tactic, since it excited the baby, but Kana tired herself after a few minutes and went back to sleep after each play, having vanquished the monster hiding in the dark, saving her modest kingdom from ruin.

Corrin drew back and laughed a little to himself, but Beruka was a bit grumpier about it.

"What was it, this time ?"

"Oh… she was just a bit afraid of the dark."

Beruka grumbled and attempted to go back to sleep. Her husband observed her a little, a bit confused on how to go on.

"You know… she, er…"

"What is it ?" Asked Beruka, though she didn't raise this time, meaning that the prince was facing her back.

"She's got your hair, you know ?"

"It could be yours for all we know."

"Well, no, your hair is a bit lighter and…"

"Corrin. We've got to get up early on tomorrow. Please, we can discuss about this tomorrow. Go to sleep…"

The (now not so former, to his regret) assassin went back to sleep, and quickly went back to her dreamland. Corrin observed her and Kana and slowly slipped back into the void as well, though admittedly, he was concerned.

Kana was a… demanding baby. She cried a lot, required more food than the average little bundle of cuteness and was pretty courageous for her age, often adventuring everywhere she could on her four limbs. It's been three months too, so she was able to move around more easily than before, and was fairly agile for her age, ending up in certain places often.

But, above all, she was also very fond of her father. And while excepted of a baby, Kana took it pretty far. She didn't dislike her mother (though he knew, somewhere, that Beruka felt like this was happening) but she often grew antsy whenever someone else than him handled her for too long. The new princess was a bit more patient with her female progenitor, but even then at times, she seemingly only ceased to cry when her father intervened.

Of course, this put his plan in something of a jeopardy. Corrin wanted to continue his quest to help the world, but he felt that it'd be pretty awkward for his wife to end up having to deal with Kana, who'd be unable to understand just _why_ her father wasn't there yet. And, sure, it was selfish of him to seemingly put both wife and daughter above the world, but Corrin was one who'd constantly think of Beruka's predicament at home, and he'd be punching himself (mentally) over it through his expeditions.

As for Beruka, she got back into her profession, to bring money. Ironically enough, Corrin was the houseman, taking care of everything and awaiting the wyvern rider's return. He wasn't that surprised though, being unwilling to push any woman into such a role (and knowing well that Beruka would refuse to accept a profession such as this).

Still, he couldn't live off _murder_, even done on those who deserve it. And he wanted to prevent Beruka from feeling down about her daughter seemingly rejecting her.

Thus, he decided to hold a meeting of a sort between Arthur and Effie, as well as Percy, and his own little family. Percy would get to meet Kana and the two parents could trade secrets. Though he was hoping that Beruka wouldn't be offering her… work stories.

They've organized their house to fit such a meeting, and Beruka agreed after only a little push, but Corrin felt a bit nervous about it nonetheless. After all, since Arthur wasn't really the quiet type, perhaps he'd say something about it to Elise, who'd report it on her own… and the house would end up filled with people.

Of course, some of the royals had other precautions, but still, he didn't want Camilla (much as he appreciated her) to barge in, since the situation was a bit complex to handle. But then again, would a small talk really help them ?

Corrin shrugged, and prepared to go to sleep. Maybe he'd catch a few hours of sleep and that'd coun-

"UWAAHHHHHHHHHHHH ! UWAAAHHHHHHHHHH !"

Or not.

…..

**A/N : **There will be a few guests for the meeting of course. Things are more interesting when they don't go to plan !

Thanks to Dandaman5 for offering his vote ! I'll be waiting for what others might think, but I do have plan on Hoshidian Corrin.

However, if you have any ship suggestion to offer (I'm thinking of a female Corrin and Hayato, since I like strange ships), than feel free to do so. It's always interesting to see what people might want after all !

See you tomorrow !


	21. Of dinners and mysterious newcomers

As it turns out, Corrin's troubles with Kana continued a little into the night : when Beruka awoke, he was asleep, with his hand next to the crib. Luckily enough for him, Kana was also asleep, though she stirred at times.

In conditions such as these, where they needed to prepare a tiny banquet of a sort, She would've attempted to wake him up promptly. But, truth to be told, the former Assassin was in a bit of a contemplative mood at the time, and felt that Corrin would likely be too exhausted to really perform his host duties, so she opted to leave him alone for now and prepare herself.

Beruka got herself dressed, tied her bandana, and exited the room quietly, walking down the hallways of their little manor. The stairs leading to the first floor were to her right, but she kept walking through the hall up until she reached the round window at the end of the hallway. Fittingly for Nohr, little sunlight passed through, and the assassin had no troubles observing Windmire early in the morning from her window.

The blue-haired woman walked backward and opened the door that lead to Felicia's room, next to the window. Said room was large and, by Corrin's choice, comfortable, with a large bed and furniture and some paintings of Felicia. A few were even made by her, though they were... of questionable quality, even for Beruka, who had little artistic flair.

Felicia herself laid in her bed, sleeping peacefully. Unlike Corrin, though, that wasn't going to stop Beruka, who approached a little and opted to lean forward to make herself heard.

"Felicia."

"Flora… put down… the snowball or…"

"Felicia."

"You've… done it… here goes nothing…"

"Felicia."

The maid opted to open one eye but immediately got up when she realized that she was facing Beruka, and not Corrin. She almost looked _scared_, like a little mouse being confronted by a cat. And the new princess, while she wasn't exactly outright abusive towards the ice tribe native, was not going to just sit down and ask her how life was going.

Ironic that she'd gain such an attitude towards servants but, then again, if Felicia's life goal was seemingly to assist Corrin, then there was no shame in acting in such a way towards her.

"I will need help with the preparations. Please, get ready."

"Ohhhh ! The preparat…"

"Sssssh."

Beruka pointed behind her with her thumb, and Felicia grew aware of what she meant. To her credit, she quickly adjusted to Kana, and erased her klutziness entirely for the sake of the baby, though Kana's personality made it hard for the maid to really hold her. She did seem to appreciate her ice powers at time, though. Then again, the baby was easy enough to awe, owing to her inexperience with, well, anything.

"Oh… sorry. Well, yes, there's little to prepare beside the plates and everything."

"You should've put them hours ago."

"Well, I don't really know just how many guests there'll be…"

She was tempted to chide her over the matter, but Felicia was, to a degree, correct. The likehood that only Arthur and Effie would arrive was small, after all. She doubted that, for instance, they wouldn't try to invite Peri, or that Elise wouldn't invite herself in. Niles would probably drop by, out of curiosity, too. It was unlikely for Silas not to arrive, as well, and since Charlotte was still with him…

The Nohrians weren't all buddies, of course, but Arthur was generally well liked enough to be a bit in touch with everyone, meaning that it'd be easy for him to talk about the meeting to at least someone.

"Put the default amount of plates but keep a few ones in reserve. Spread the initial ones through the table. If there's a wide margin between each plate, then it'll be easy to place or, or perhaps even two, between them."

"Oh, I should've thought of that ! Dumb Felicia…"

Beruka simply nodded in agreement. Felicia winced a little, perhaps excepting that the assassin would be more courteous. Even after all this time, people were seemingly excepting Beruka to be smiling and getting along with everyone now, instead of a few people. This confused her enough : How could she act in such a normal manner when the rest of her life has definitely been quite abnormal ? It was a miracle that she could even have positive interactions with at least some people.

"… Erm. I cleaned your weapons."

"Good job." Answered the woman. "Now, I'm going to go and pull Corrin out of his slumber. He'll help you, I'm certain."

"And you…"

"Will be taking care of Kana." Responded Beruka. "Were you excepting me to take a contract, per chance ?"

"Of course not !"

"I still have my priorities, Felicia. Like you have yours at the moment. Get to work… please."

Beruka left the room and walked down the hall. It was perhaps a little harsh of her to treat the maid in such a way, but she lacked Corrin's tact. And having someone to kind of push her to do her best was best for the young woman. The shuffling behind her indicated that Felicia was taking her advice at least, which came off as pleasing to the wyvern rider.

Upon entering the room, the young woman approached the bed and knelt down. This time, Corrin seemingly wasn't dreaming of pastries or Gunter, merely quietly snoring along, face half buried in a pillow. She briefly observed him before nudging him a little.

"Corrin, you need to wake up, please."

It took one nudge for him to open one eye, in a lazy manner. Then, he proceeded to yawn before raising a little, stretching his arms. He looked fairly good in spite of his night, though his hair was something of a mess and she could tell that he was still struggling to escape the hold of Orfus, god of the night.

"Beruka…. Is everything…"

"Yes. Our guests should be arriving soon though. Could you help Felicia, please ?"

He nodded and stepped out of bed to get dressed, while his wife glanced at the crib, noticing that Kana was stirring awake. The baby, very much like her father, yawned and did something akin to a stretch of her arms before fully waking up, curious red eyes observing the world above.

She had Corrin's red pupils, but her eyes were akin to her mother's : "sharp" (as described by Camilla) and focused. Well, as sharp and focused as a newborn could be. Out of curiosity, and also because Kana was always hungry in the morning, Beruka quietly picked up her precious little baby girl to feed her. The child of the dragon looked a bit scared at first, but relented when she saw that it was naught but her mother.

Beruka held her carefully with one arm (while sitting down on the bed) and, once again, unbuttoned her shirt, before beginning the process. At this angle, and with the lamps activated, she could tell that, indeed, Kana's hair was of the same shade of blue as her, indeed. Well, at least, she pretended to notice it for Corrin, who completed his little dressing.

"You know, I'm kind of hoping that we'll have a lot of guests."

"I don't."

"Oh… w-well, I understand though. But it'd be great for us to see where we are, you know ? Nearly two years after the end of the war, we kind of reunite and see how we grew past that."

"A lot of us will be missing. Mozu, for instance."

"Yeah… Nohr took a lot of things away from her." Said Corrin. "I don't want to drag her in Windmire just to celebrate with us, you know ?"

"I assumed."

Benny and Keaton were unlikely to come, Jakob… was actually in the capital, so she just knew that he was probably about to turn around. Everyone else but those mentioned above was either dead, gone into the ether or busy. She just hoped that there wouldn't be a sudden breakdown somewhere.

"I'm going to dress the baby."

"Alright ! I'm gonna help Felicia then."

Corrin left, and Beruka was left with Kana.

…

Kana was surprisingly patient when it came to getting dressed, with Beruka even bothering to gift her that one pajama crafted by Elise (though redone a little), with the misshapen heart on her back. The baby did wiggle or whined as she was being dressed, but ultimately, she was a bit too groggy from her awakening and feeding to really put forth a sufficient effort.

Once she was done, Beruka proceeded to hold the baby. Kana's small eyes were darting around, as if looking for her father, and her mother glanced at her, hoping that she'd be smiled at.

It was… stupid, of course, to except such a thing from a baby. To except the approval of a months-old tiny little thing that couldn't even begin to comprehend what was around it was laughable. She slew some of the greatest warriors to walk down this planet, had the respect of several princes and princesses alike, impressed a future savior of Nohr (though he disliked the title) hard enough for him to ask her hand in marriage, and had good knowledge of various kind of weapons at a young age.

Why was Kana's sort of tolerance for her bothering Beruka so much ? Why would she be upset over the baby preferring her father over her ? The assassin appreciated compliments enough, but she never allowed a person's opinion on her to really affect her (well, bar a special case), why would she seek approval from her own flesh and blood ?

She didn't hate her daughter for it of course, no. She held no resentment over such matters. She did, probably, feel jealousy somewhere in her heart, and it made her feel disgusted. The mere idea that Beruka would feel a sort of resentment over her husband for something beyond his control somewhat sickened her, but perhaps it was a part of having more sentiments than before ? Still, that was one layer of having emotions that she did not want to face.

Beruka prepared herself for the meeting.

…

Their new manor was quite large, and colorful, under Corrin's insistence. Any guests that'd enter the main door after crossing the garden would encounter either the stairs, or could go to the left, where the kitchen stood. To the right, there was the living room. One half had a round table and about two larges couches, with several seats for the occasion, and the other had a long table.

The place was brimming with book shelves, though most of the books were so old, they'd crumble into dust if a guest were to stare at them for too long. The floor was red, like the walls (he intended yellow at one point, but she fought to prevent it), though they had some white stripes. The place was, to put it plainly, made to be cozy and agreeable, unlike Nohr's previous mansions.

"Ahhhhh, Corrin, your home is as lovely as ever !" Said Arthur, walking together with Effie, both holding Percy's hand. The toddler's smile was as wide as his father, though he had his mother's soft (one would say droopy) eyes.

"We're just glad to be here in time… to be honest, I thought that something would happen. But nothing did. Heh…"

Percy looked up at both Corrin and Beruka, with the former holding Kana. She briefly glanced down at Percy as well but ultimately turned her stare away, and began sucking on her fist.

"Hi !" Declared Percy, causing the prince to laugh in surprise.

"Hello there, Percy ! You've grown a lot, heh ?"

"Ye !" He answered, with his parents letting go of him.

"Hello, Percy." Concluded Beruka. The two couples made their way over to the room, along with their children.

"Aww… she look so cute." Declared Effie, after sitting down. Out of concern, she kept Percy next to her, since he could run off and cause some damage to the house.

"My ! She has your hair, Beruka ! And the shape of your eyes !"

"She's probably going to look like her mother after growing up !" Affirmed Corrin. "Though she's got my ears and pupils."

He held her with one arm, using his hand to attempt to amuse Kana. The baby cooed and grasped at it, unaware of her current status as the center of the conversation.

"But Percy's grown too ! If I take my eyes off him for too long, he's going to be bigger than you two !"

"He's a pretty excitable toddler." Declared Effie. "He… doesn't break too many things, though. It's like they always land just right or he can somewhat catch them."

"And when he does break things, it's, err, because I was around." Admitted Arthur.

Felicia, meanwhile, checked the door after hearing some knocking, gasped, and promptly opened it. Those already gathered in the room turned around as a result, and more were surprised to see Jakob. The butler didn't change much over the course of the year and-somewhat-half, though he had a thin white mustache by now, for some reasons best left alone.

"Greetings ! Apologies for the unannounced intrusion, Lord Corrin, but I was dying to see you and your baby… oh and the rest, too." He added, though he did make a valiant effort at trying to stay polite in doing so.

"Welcome, Jakob ! It is a pleasure to see you !"

Jakob took a seat and sat down, crossing his legs and carefully observing the two families. Beruka never liked him much, and he was more than happy to return the sentiment. If it weren't for Corrin's presence, then he would've probably said a few unkind words by now.

"All mine, Lord Corrin ! How have you been doing ?"

"We've been doing great, Beruka and I ! But what about you ?"

"Oh… nothing much. I've been offered positions by other noble houses but, truth to be told, I've been waiting to return to help you ! But, still, since you request to be left alone for the year, I had to find some work. The nobles were not as obnoxious as I thought, but they obviously weren't you."

"That's very kind of you, Jakob." Answered Beruka, nearly rolling her eyes.

"So, you're going to just… start working ? Right now ?" Asked a baffled Arthur.

"Oh, not quite yet, but I do intend to do so by the end of the week !"

"I see, well, good luck to you, butler of justice !"

Jakob nodded, and then did nothing, beside observing Felicia in a contemptuous manner whenever the maid passed by to bring some tea. The idea that she might be left alone with the butler irritated Beruka, but he quickly dropped from the spotlight with the arrival of Silas and Charlotte, a minute later.

"Hey ! Whoah, Jakob ! It's great to see you !"

"Felicia ! What is this ? Why are you carrying these plates in such a manner ? A tornado would treat them with more care !" Said Jakob, ignoring Silas.

"Hey, Silas, Charlotte." Said Effie. "It's… nice to see you."

"It's great to see you two !" said Charlotte, bending over to encounter Percy. "Huullloooo Percy !"

They also took two seats, while Percy observed Charlotte, in fascination. Corrin smiled, but it's clear that he wasn't excepting them to arrive so fast.

"Awww, she's got your eyes !" Said the blonde, to Beruka. Kana herself closed hers, seemingly bothered by the sound.

Then, it was time for Elise to enter, with Felicia attempting to use her training to bring the plate at the table without breaking it.

"Hey everyone ! Whoah, you're… numerous !"

"There's a seat left, don't worry !"

"Hi !"

"Good lord, it's getting crowded !"

"Yes. But I wouldn't be having troubles with it, unlike her !"

"Jakob, this isn't very nice !"

"Dear, Percy's getting thirsty. Could we get him to drink some tea ?"

When a bald Izana entered the room, though, Corrin's smile started to grow strained, especially because he had some guards just in case. The voice of the gods promptly bowed down, causing Felicia to nearly stumble upon him as she brought about three plates back to the table (she didn't know if the guards were going to eat as well, and opted to be precautious).

"Corrin ! My vision was correct ! I've shaved my hair down as a result, as you can see !"

"What is he even doing here ?" said Jakob.

"This is bad…"

"I've got a seat." Said Silas.

"Fear not, my knight friend, I could perhaps make some place for him on the couch !"

"This is getting pretty crowded." Protested Effie.

"Where do we put the guards ?"

Kana's lips started to quiver, and she started to hold her arms out, irritated by the noise. Corrin briefly calmed her down, doing his absolute best to do some grimaces to amuse the little girl.

However, even he failed to hide his irritation when some knocks, mysteriously, made themselves heard about the conversations and shouting.

"I don't think we have any seats left." Said Silas.

"Can't they see that we're crowded ?! Tell them to scram !" Proposed an offended Charlotte.

"Let me handle this, Lord Corrin !"

"No, don't worry, Felicia will handle this !"

Felicia did run over towards the door, though she seemed to be losing her grasp on both sanity and reality. Tiredly, she opened the door… but gasped a little upon realizing who stood at the door, and promptly swung it open.

Upon seeing the last newcomer, any manner of noise instantly died down, with all eyes currently present (bar the two youngest ones) focusing on them.

….

**N/A : **Cliffhanger ! Who might that be ? Don't hesitate to post your guesses !

So, one for Hoshido, one for Nohr ! May we get a dealbreaker ? Ha, good on you for figuring out that Kaze went unmentioned so far, I wonder why ?

Don't forget to leave reviews, they help !


	22. Selena : Of farewells and remembrances

The flowers were still withered and, alas, some had to be sacrificed so that others may grow in their place.

It was a process that Beruka was a bit more familiar with. Perhaps she could lie and say that she regretted it, but she knew what to do next, and she wasn't emphatic enough to really feel sorry over the death of plants.

Perhaps she'll bring a book next.

…

Selena walked down the Nohrian countryside, with the "ninja knife" bestowed upon her by Beruka resting in the palm of her left hand, being contemplated by the redhead with much curiosity, though she was half-excepting the idea that she'd receive such an item anyway.

Briefly, the Ylissian looked back at Beruka's new house. The fact that Corrin was apparently living there was more of a shock for her than the knife, if only because the young prince swore that he'd change Nohr's society and made it his life-goal to do so. The fact that he was currently living away from the capital, seemingly without receiving much contact, stood at odds with his previous goal. Then again, he was seemingly very affected by the outcome of the war.

She sighed. Well, he couldn't be blamed for avoiding the court, considering how hard it attempted to screw him over. Camilla's former retainer turned around and her eyes widened a little when fate, most interestingly, chose to have a little fun by tossing the missing prince at her.

Corrin emerged out of the woods, bag in hand, clad in his white armor of a sort. He didn't change much ever since the end of the war though she could see, through either body language or the bags under his eye, that the hero seemed very much tired. The fact that the usually alert Corrin needed to be pretty close to her before noticing Selena confirmed that the war must have affected him.

He was holding a bag with him : She could see some food inside. How bizarre.

"Oh, Selena ! Hey !"

"Corrin !"

The young woman approached the draconic prince immediately, hands on her hips. Upon noticing her angered approach, he raised an eyebrow in confusion, though to his credit, he was quick to adopt a diplomatic smile, in an attempt to greet her hostility. His seeming frailness (dragon powers aside) and the way he attempted to hide it with an awkward smile reminded her of someone that she knew, but that was not going to save him from a little talk.

"What were you doing out there in the woods ? Beruka's waiting for you and you _almost_ missed me !"

"Sorry, sorry !" he said. It was odd, perhaps, for Selena to so easily have the (taller) hero of Nohr back off in almost-fright, though Corrin was never a really confrontational person anyway, in spite of his strength or deeds. The fact that he was strong enough to tear apart some of the most fearsome warriors on the continent probably justified his behavior, though.

"Don't you go sorry on me ! What were you even doing in the woods ?"

Her frown became a cocky smirk of a sort as she folded her arms.

"Perhaps you were hiding from me, heh ?"

"Why would I hide from a friend ? I… was taking a shortcut through these woods." He explained, pointing at those. Selena frowned, not really convinced but willing to let that slide. She couldn't really afford to stick around for too much since they had a clear schedule, and while Laslow and Odin were obviously going to wait for her (or wouldn't arrive on time either), she refused to be late, not when she stressed the importance of sticking to the schedule.

"A short trek through the Nohrian woods, heh ? That's not suspicious at all."

"W-well, at least, I met you." He said, chuckling. "How was your talk with Beruka ?"

"You've been influencing her over the year, for sure… well, she's still hiding weapons around the room."

"Yeah, that's pretty troubling…"

He looked down at her knife and his eyes briefly widened in recognition, Selena realized that she could perhaps pack it before someone notices it and panic.

"Do you recognize that ?"

"Well, of course. They've been thrown at me during the…"

He chose to bite his lips, and Selena frowned harder.

"It's a nice knife."

"Yeah ! It's a… creepy souvenir, and I'm not too sure about acquiring something that belongs to a dead guy, but it was done with a good intention in mind."

"Beruka's really sweet under her demeanor, isn't she ?" Answered Corrin.

"Well, she gave it to me as a token of trust. She sounded like she was excepting me to just…"

She made a throat slashing gesture with her throat, wincing.

"It's an exercise in trust. When she does it on you, it means that she feels safe around you."

"I-I know, but it's pretty creepy ! And beside, I've been her work buddy for one or two years now ! C'mon, she should've been trusting earlier !"

He nodded in answer, and Selena realized that she had little time left before she had to leave. The mercenary raised her fist and bumped him in the shoulder, albeit slightly.

"Congratulations for the baby, by the way ! I'm proud of you two !"

He widened his eyes a little, not excepting the switch in both mood and subject. He did quickly answer, smiling gladly.

"Thank you ! Would you like to become its godmother, by chance ? You're quite close to Beruka after all."

"That's not going to be possible, Corrin. I'm sorry about that, but I've got to return… home."

"Oh, right, your original country, right ?"

"Y-yea-whoah, you figured it out too ?"

"Well, I'm more observant than people give me credits for ! It's the accent… and the way you just showed up, right ? Camilla told me about how you emerged out of nowhere."

He didn't seem to be too suspicious over her home. Then again, of all people, Corrin was the least likely to attempt to stop her from going back home. The man would've spared a pirate who attempted to rob and murder him after all, if it weren't for some timely intervention, and his rage was always righteous or the result of stress piling up on him. Plenty decried such kindness, but Selena could appreciate it.

At the very least, she'd rather have someone who was a little bit too naïve (but who could still fight if he had to) over some glory-seeking moron. Corrin's optimism and yearning for peace inspired Nohr in a way, and intrigued the troops, who weren't used to his ideality and belief in peace, since they all belonged to a society that, while more complex than other countries gave it credit for, definitely had a bizarre obsession with strength and power, meaning that they were never truly exposed to such words before.

Of course though, those who decried him weren't fully in the wrong. His idealism left him ill-prepared for the realities of war, and his current retirement was proof that even he had his limits.

"Are you going to return someday ?"

"The way home is a long one." She said, aware of how suspicious she sounded.

Nohr (or rather, Dreiz as a whole) feared the Countries Beyond The Sea. The two main countries both refused to truly go at it (in spite of the Casus Belli) out of fear that they'd both end up invaded by them during or after the war, and Xander's decision to try to repair any damage done to the army was born out of fear that the would get invaded again. Qlipoth has been destroyed, of course, but it didn't mean that it couldn't bounce back, or that the neighbor nations wouldn't attack on their own.

To get to the point, it would be incredibly easy to believe that they were all spies, about to go back home with full knowledge of the might of Nohr and its current troops. If it weren't for the fact that they've proved their loyalties by this point, they would likely be hunted down.

"I see… well, err, how is your home then ?"

"Oh… it's… nice. Nicer than Nohr, for sure." She said, gesturing to the countryside. "No offense."

"None taken, it's a little dreary, I'll admit." He said. "Well, I hope that you still… err."

"Enjoyed my trip ?"

"Sort of, but not really. You did fight in the… conflict, and that probably wasn't nice."

"Oh, Corrin." She said, walking past him, slightly leaning to her right and winking at him. "I've been in worse !"

He grew a bit paler but nodded quietly.

"I'd love to know more about this but… well, farewell, Selena. It saddens me to know that I may not see you again but I guess it's just life. We take different paths…"

The redhead observed him a little and dared to smile a little.

"Funny. Beruka said the same thing, more or less… Take care, Corrin, and see ya around !"

…

Selena never thought that she'd feel something akin to sadness at exiting Dreiz. Nohr was a dreadful country, ruled by a tyrant mad with grief, and you couldn't walk down a street without stumbling upon someone with major issues. She felt some empathy for Anankos and his son, no doubt, but she was honestly looking forward to her departure from the country.

She never imagined that Camilla and Beruka, women of rather questionable mental stability, would ever become her friends in a way. And yet, here she was, carrying Beruka's gifts (a necklace and a knife) in her bag, gazing at the purple trees around her. Truth to be told, some of Nohr reminded her of the original Ylisse, before they all went back in time. Risen and Grima notwithstanding, of course, but the fact that it could even be compared with the apocalyptic hellscape (she just got a bit bored with finding names) of the future spoke volumes on the violence of Qlipoth's invasion.

A shadow passed in her vision, yet Selena only sighed, even as the shadow proceeded to jump back and forth around her.

"Owain !"

In an instant, the shape ceased its little acrobatic manoeuver, stopping short in front of her.

"Curses ! My darkness speed has been eluded by your god eyes ! But luckily enough for me, I was holding back on you ! Observe, or don't ! It will not make a difference when I unleash…"

"Gosh, Owain, you could be a bit more serious !"

Odin (or rather, Owain) sighed and got up. The dark mage had a widely different attire, akin to the one he had back at Ylisse. Akin to a swordsman, which explained his little boost in speed. Unfortunately enough for him, she was also an accomplished swordswoman back in Ylisse, and she never lost her fantastic swiftness over the course of her days in Nohr.

"_Thanks for the lessons, dad_" thought the young woman.

"Oh, I am more serious than ever ! Behold my garb !"

"Yeah, right… Where did you even get it made ?"

"Mokushu ! A splendid country, yet one of many dangers ! For behind every blade of grass stood a grey blade… and a ninja wielding it !"

"How did you even get that far ?"

"Warp help." He said, in a much more straightforward manner. "My months-long journey led me to multiple realizations ! The first being that it would be wise to be dressed appropriately for the glorious parade that will bring us home ! The second, that Nohrians belong to the darkness even now, and are rejected by those who still belong in the light ! The third… that it's pretty cold out there and mom is going to kill me if she sees me dressed like this."

"That's four reasons ! But I get it."

When someone dropped from a branch, scoring a stylish landing on the desolate forest's ground, the two Ylissians barely bothered to check for the newcomer, soon revealed to be Inigo !

"I knew that it'd be easy to find you two." He confessed, smirking at the two.

Like Owain, he had different garbs, though they were more akin to noble clothing rather than anything else. He was, however, packing both a sword and a (tiny) shield on his arm, for prudence's sake. Otherwise, he had minimal changes, though she could see that he was trying to grow a stubble of a sort ? Unfortunately enough, it was barely visible.

Severa had the same armor as before, and was packing the same weapons. Nohr was a pretty dangerous country after all, so she'd rather be ready to defend herself. She did carry a bag around with her, though.

"Ah, the dancing lover has joined us at last !"

"Hey, Inigo… nice beard." She said, to his obvious embarrassment.

"It's hard to find a razor around here." Muttered the dancer. "Anyhow let's get started on the main issue before leaving."

He coughed and pointed at Owain.

"I've secured the south access points to you-know-where ! I've also arranged some Sacred Stones ! Their purpose : To deliver a message when the time will come, and warn the inhabitants of its world !"

"Wouldn't your magic eventually fade away ? And you're about to leave this world anyhow !"

"Such would be the plight of a lesser mage ! But alas, my father's magic is as devious as his laughter ! I've learnt to affect the land, so as to bind the unholy magic within it ! It's existence is tied to the soil itself, and as long as one grain of land remain, then it will live on ! I've also used the danceress's magic, of course. These Sacred Stones will hold fast !"

"I don't really trust magic but so be it." Said Severa.

"Nice work, Owain. What about you ?"

"I've secured the access points, too. Haven't left any warning, but at the very least, the people up north won't be having any trouble with it… and if you ask, try to scratch a message in the ice, or on a stone !"

"Good job, Severa. As for I, I also ensured that the places leading to the hidden kingdom remain sealed, thanks to Azura's magic."

"Good, so Anankos's stuck there, right ?"

"Yes. He's used up his power on Dreiz after all. He wasn't that weakened with Garon but his possession of the Hoshidan prince exhausted and his attempts to send soldiers through the access points exhausted what remain of it."

"The fiend must be trashing in the land beneath !"

"And he'll be staying there till… a long time, right ? Sounds like we're just kind of dumping our problem to whoever will be alive by now."

"Not much we can do beside that. We don't exactly have the tools to even drive him back for now, nor the manpower." Answered Inigo to Severa.

"Light and Darkness need to be united, and out of such an union, a weapon, neither of obsidian nor pearl, will be aimed at the heart of he of the grey waves, and strike true !"

They stared flatly at him.

"That's what she said… I added a bit more flair but I swear, it was like that." He answered.

"We kind of failed badly with the light part." Said Selena. "We couldn't unite Hoshido and Nohr in time."

"That would've been impossible for practically anyone to pull off though. By the time we arrived…"

"It was already too late for that." Attested Owain. "I wish there would've been another way, I truly do. But… maybe we could still inform them ? We're not on a schedule."

"Oh hey, we're back ! By the way, that war you just fought ? It was all for nothing, the true enemy is a dragon god buried in a nation made of floating islands. We'd access it if we could, but it's closed and you'd need to jump into the canyon. What nation ? Oh, can't tell the name, or I die ! Anyway, good luck !"

Owain tilted his head to the side, agreeing with her but wincing.

"We can't beat them with Nohr's army. Garon and Takumi were just using borrowed power and they still brought us to our limits."

"Perhaps light and dark will unite some other day, carried by a wind of reunion rather than separation ! The weapons will unite !"

"Yeah… still though, I kinda regret not being able to prevent that many deaths. At least, we completed our secondary objective."

"Thanks to Azura." Commented Inigo, sadly. "She really gave it her all so that we could see a semblance of peace, at least."

"You think Corrin know ?"

"Unlikely, the dragon prince's heart is as electrical as my spells ! He wouldn't hide his suspicions as skillfully as he did… no offense !"

"I wish he never does. Knowing that he led an useless war would…"

She checked behind her, just to be sure. By that point, a hidden Corrin or Beruka would've heard enough, but she still felt paranoid. Luckily enough, the trio was safe : the trees were too thin for anyone to really hide behind them, and the man, while sneaky (thanks to his wife), _wasn't that good_ at it. Or else she'd be seriously wary.

"… yeah, you know."

"His descendant is bound to inherit Yato. Let's hope that they'll make good use of it."

Still, they felt, more than anything, disappointed in themselves for failing Anankos, at least, his good half. In a way, they failed at their primary objective, and while the world was saved from immediate annihilation, it was still in turmoil. They've merely fixed the balance for now, but they haven't _repaired_ it.

Severa briefly heard a "apologies, " escape Inigo's lips, though Owain soon attempted to cheer them up again.

"… Have you said your goodbyes to our valorous companions, old friends ?" asked Owain, as a blue tornado of a sort began to appear in the palm of his hand, eventually forming an orb.

"Lord Xander and Peri knows. He said that I'd need an escort, but I declined. Peri…"

"Cried and tried to chop your legs off ?"

"What ? No. She wouldn't do this even back then ! Err. She's better now, you know ? Anyway, she went on a pretty honest spiel about how patient I was, and how glad she was about me seeing the new her. It was honestly pretty… touching."

It was telling that _Owain_ stared at Severa, with a "do you believe this" expression on his face. It was even more telling that her immediate reaction was to agree.

"H-hey ! Anyway, I left that way. I checked for spies but he trusted me enough."

"That's wise of you."

"My father taught me to be a little aware of my surroundings, that's all." He answered. "What about you, Owain ?"

"I walked up upon the lord of gravity and told him : "Alas, master, our time come at an end ! The nation call upon me, and I shall tear away from my Nohrian duties to rescue it ! Fear not, and know that as I explore the stars, I shall always treasure your-"

Severa made a "hurry up" gesture.

"Errr, he cut me off halfway through to say that it was regrettable but he understood. Niles left me do the spiel (with some differences), leaned in, just said "k", and left. Like… literally k ! What a madman ! He tried to follow me secretly but alas, I eluded him !"

"I lucked out and caught Camilla between a mission. She… took it pretty gracefully ? I mean, she "cried" for a while, and said that it tore her heart apart, and that the damage was beyond even Raijinto's ability to inflict, and all… but she thanked me for being her retainer and wished me luck."

"That's sweet."

"And she gave me a two days head start before she start sending out spies to bring me home."

"Oh, and…"

"Beruka ? She's living in a small house in the countryside, with Corrin. It's not too far from the capital, too. It's kinda weird to see her in regular clothes and all pregnant."

"To be truthful, I thought Corrin was joking when he said that he loved her… I mean, not to be mocking. It's sweet in a way, and I can tell that he influenced her, but it's just a bit weird when he's so opposed to killing. She must be retired for now though."

"The killer at the edge of the night has retired ? Well, that'd make sense. New life is being made ! Only an uncaring fool would run into danger and put two lives at risk !"

"I… hope soo. She gave me a knife as a show of trust. It's kinda creepy but I was emotional, so I took it."

They smiled rather teasingly at her over it, but she shook her head.

"A-and Corrin nearly missed me ! The jerk ! He was out there with a bag in the woods ! As if there's anything to collect !"

"Was he doing alright ? He took some bad hits at the end of the war, be it on his body or mental."

"Yeah… well, as well as you do when you've got Beruka as a wife !"

They chuckled together a little and, slowly yet surely, the orbs appeared on the palms of their hands.

"I wonder what the others were doing." Admitted Owain.

"Laurent and Lucina are probably still wandering the world, I bet Cynthia is… ah, why even ask ? We'll know for sure soon." Answered Severa.

"See you guys at Ylisse."

Briefly, the trio ended up surrounded by a flash of light and, within a second, they vanished, leaving nothing behind.

And, somewhere in a much brighter country, in another dimension, a random passerby is very surprised by the sudden flash of light in the nearby flower field.

….

**A/N : **To feed on the cliffhanger from before, have… a flashback chapter !

I always wanted to do this, to be honest, if only because I feel like I used Selena and discarded her a bit too early. She's not making any further appearances, but at least, she had another chapter for herself !

It's an answer to the Anankos question, of a sort. I know : It's really a bit boring, after what I set up some chapters ago, but to be honest, the fic's been mostly fluff and weird people dealing with weird things, so dealing with him would be something of a genre shift. At the very least, I can try to provide an explanation for why the world is "safe" for now. Anankos's not going to be a threat for Corrin's lifetime, at the very least, and probably Kana, and Kana's own child.

That said, I can confirm that by the time of his return, Corrin's descendant will be the one to truly unite the nations and finally defeat their ancient great x25 grandfather, so there _is_ an happy ending, it's just that it's one that no on currently alive will be able to see for now. And it doesn't quite undo Conquest's own devastation.

Can you guess who the three fathers of that trio might be ? The hints might be obvious, except for Inigo, unfortunately !

I've brought back the flower intro because, chronologically, this take place while Corrin and Beruka are still at the house, during chapter 2. I assume it take place while Corrin and Selena were having their talk !

Anyway, for a little age chart, they're all 25 for now, with Owain being at about 26.

Don't forget to leave reviews and critics, and I might still need a tide breaker for the either prequel or Hoshidian version of this fic !

See ya !


	23. Of butlers and babies

Corrin was excepting a major shock as soon as he saw Felicia's reaction, though he didn't exactly know who'd be able to inspire such awe from a roomful of warriors.

Was it Garon, returned from the grave and ready to execute his revenge on those who stopped him from unleashing a global war ? Takumi, perhaps ? Xander himself, having fended off his royal duties to invite himself within their house ? He couldn't help but associate "surprise" with "something awful is going to happen" because of his various experiences after all.

Beruka herself was just annoyed at someone else's presence, since Kana was already at the breaking point and would drown the room in her cries. And she didn't trust that the rest of the gathered guests would be of any help, since they'd be too busy with their own child (who was bound to get upset if Kana start crying) or would be unable to really calm the baby.

But, in the end, the one who stood at the door was a different person, though she was still of enough importance to instantly cause the room to go quiet, when it was all but chaos in the end.

Sakura has grown in a year and a half, being just a bit taller than Beruka now. She wore long, regal clothing, fitting of a princess such as her. She boasted a large white coat with long sleeves and a red Hoshidian symbol of a sort on its back, concealing an elaborate pink uniform beneath it. She could tell, however, that the uniform had some markings depicting cherry trees blossoms over it, seemingly flowing.

Her usual shyness (coupled with an odd determination) all but left her face, leaving nothing behind. And she wasn't even kidding : The princess's face was stoic though she could see some sadness beneath the façade. Her eyes, for instance, were dull and unmoving, though locked unto the floor below, as if she refused to even stare at the Nohrians. She had longer hair, almost reaching her back, and had no decoration on it this time.

The Hoshidian princess wore red lipstick of a sort, and had a fan in her left hand, with her right one nervously gripping her arm.

She didn't know… much about the pink princess, except that she was akin to a shy Elise, and was, at that young age, rather brutally exposed to war, losing her older brothers to the Nohrians along with plenty of her countrymen, some of whom died right under her very eyes. The experience made her a bit more distant, apparently, though she tried to hold strong for the sake of her sister and country.

Like Elise, she had to be propelled into the role of a "real princess", and to her credit, she was very diplomatic to the Nohrians during the coronation ceremony.

"Oh. It seems that I arrived at the wrong moment, I'm going to…"

"T-that's fine, Sakura."

Corrin briefly nodded at Beruka and got up, not really knowing what to say. He apologized to her as much as one could possibly do to the princess, after the war, but he still felt guilty over what he's done to her.

The other Nohrians refused to speak up yet, and even the Izumians looked decently surprised, though there was something akin to genuine sadness on Izana's expression.

"You don't need to get up just for me, Corrin." She affirmed, gently, even attempting to smile. But her eyes remained dull, and almost empty, no matter what she was trying to say or how many smiles she attempted to put up. "I wanted to congratulate you, in person."

"Hrm… err… thank you." He said. "You… well, what…"

"Am I doing here ?"

She sounded much more straightforward. Beruka had little experience with the princess, she did encounter her at Izumo and she was, indeed, much less approachable than Elise, almost like a cornered rabbit of a sort, especially compared to the more exuberant Nohrian princess. However, she sounded much more mature, whereas, amusingly enough, it was now Corrin's turn to fumble on his words.

Though the circumstances behind said maturity, a loss of both her innocence and family, made her evolution a bit more tragic than she anticipated, perhaps. She couldn't bring herself to care much for a former enemy, ultimately, but the assassin understood Sakura's predicament and felt sorry for her, as much as she could at least.

"I'm here for a diplomatic mission, I'm surprised you haven't heard of it."

He sadly shook his head.

"I haven't, apologies."

"… That's understandable." Affirmed Sakura. "Well, I probably shouldn't be here. Congratulations for the baby, Corrin. I hope you'll give Kana a nice life, and that she won't need to pick up Yato one day."

The blue-haired prince nodded in affirmation, though she knew that he wanted to ask more about how Hoshido was doing, how she was doing…

But alas, those questions were meaningless, for what good is a question when everybody know its answer ? While it wasn't doing badly now, the country of the East was still reeling from its war, and resented Nohr in spite of everything. Queen Hinoka was attempting to ease the tensions but, a bit more often than the Nohrian royals were comfortable with, let her own desire for revenge slip by in one speech or two, and plenty doubted of the Nohrian "cover-up".

"Thank you, Sakura. And I'm… sorry, once more."

Her eyes widened slightly, but alas, she sadly shook her head.

"Corrin… saying that one more time won't change anything. I'm sorry for spoiling the festivities, have fun. I salute you, Princess Elise, Lord Izana, Princess Beruka."

She left, and the prince leaned in against the doorstep. There wasn't a whole escort underway, but Beruka attempted a sneaky glance, she saw both her retainers waiting for her before leaving. Corrin himself closed the door and sighed.

It was clear that the festivities couldn't just start again, now that the mood has been, by all accounts, slammed with a war hammer. Jakob was the first to get up.

"Allow me to assist Felicia."

"I'm going to… you don't mind if I give Charlotte a tour of the house ?"

"Y-yeah, that's what I've been looking forward to !"

Corrin nodded at each and, to their credit, the three were quick to leave for their respective little adventures, with Elise going to assist Jakob. This left Izana and his little escort, the two couples and their children, and the former promptly became the center of the attention for the two parties, though unlike his parents, Percy was merely amused by the colorful bald man.

Kana was a bit more peaceful now, though she looked confused at the sudden solemnity of the room. Percy himself sometimes looked around between giggling bouts, unable to understand why the situation went a bit quiet.

"Lord Izana, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, please." Said Corrin, sitting down next to Beruka. His tone was polite, but the fact that he was actually putting forth a commanding stare at the "Duke of fun" spoke of how shaken he was by his brief encounter with Sakura.

"I know that I dropped at a bad time, like that time when I let go of…"

Beruka joined her husband in glaring, though Arthur and Effie were more awkward than anything.

"There's something that I need to tell you ! Nothing bad, of course. Quite the contrary actually !"

"Then tell us now."

"Sorry to disrespect a royal order, but… well, destiny said that only Corrin would hear it."

"Why ?"

Izana shrugged.

"Destiny !"

Izumians, because of their reliance on the gods, always had a firm belief in destiny and how inevitable it was. Izana foresaw that he'd talk with Corrin alone, and it would be disrespectful to stand against the gods, thus, they could only accept the proposal.

"Alright, huh… should we bring you some tea ?"

"Oh, I'm going to take a stroll through your lovely garden first !"

"… Wait, why are you…"

Izana already left, finally leaving the two "main" couples together.

…

The kitchen was pretty large, owing to the fact that Corrin was always pretty hungry and that baby Kana already proved to be quite the big (though thankfully not picky) eater.

It had two large windows, allowing one to peer outside and see the garden as well as a grey wall. Accessible through the main hall, one could also use a door at the end of the room to walk down a small hall, leading to the dining room and its table (why Felicia, in her infinite wisdom, refused to use it would haunt Jakob forever).

The kitchen was white and black, and had two sides, being of similar size to the living room (to the point where they were nearly identical). The first half seemed to house the cutlery or pots, and Jakob could see that this is where the tea and food were being made. The other half was where the food was though, going by Felicia's back-and-forth adventure of a sort between the two halves.

"Felicia ! How can we help ya ?"

"O-oh, Princess Elise ! You… shouldn't be working like that ! W-what good is a servant…"

"Taratata ! I'm going to help !"

"Y-you can… check the food then ? It'd be bad if it ended up burning and all, you know…"

Elise tilted her head but agreed, observing the pot intensely. At times, she seemed to regret it, turning over to the two, but then something sizzled in the pot and she focused it back on it.

"How _will_ I help, Felicia ?" asked Jakob.

"You could help with the glasses ?"

Jakob agreed, but stood in place. Felicia waited for about five seconds before realizing what was happening, prompting her to open up a shelf. The glasses inside varied : From the boring, small type to large recipients, marked with Nohr's symbols. He opted to pick larger ones, but refrained from picking the taller ones, figuring that they were meant for the biggest occasions.

"Felicia ?" He said, once more.

"Y-yeah ?"

Jakob made a point of _going to the hallway that led to the dining room_, but nonetheless engaged a dialogue while doing so, stopping at the entrance.

"I've heard that you've been working for Peri before Corrin's return, am I right ?"

"That's right. Well, you know, after she got that mental help, I thought that I could… show her some mercy. And beside, her and Lord Corrin's uniforms are more practical than the one during the war, you know ?"

"I see. Lord Corrin would certainly approve of this…"

He still stood there, though to her surprise, she seemed to notice quickly enough, actually frowning at him.

"Jakob, I _know_ where this hallway lead to." She said.

"Yes, and this almost makes you dumber."

"W-well… I kind of wanted to show off to the others, ya know ?" Said Felicia. "Since we all… knew each other during the war and I was klutzy Felicia, I thought that showing off how better I was at the job would… be noticed by the others."

He listened to her, since he knew that she wasn't done with her short speech.

"But… well, they didn't notice it that much, only you did and it was to just insult me." Said the Ice Tribes maid. "S-so yeah, big dumb Felicia fail again, is that it ?"

He could tell that she intended to keep her cool, but the way the young woman started to cut the cucumber (a rare Nohrian delicacy) and the way her voice sort of rose was proof of her anger. And, for once, Jakob was actually surprised.

The butler was rude to Felicia, perhaps, but he only ever saw it as a way to try to push her forward. After all, his own training at Gunter's hands was quite intense (as it turn out, the man was quite thorough, as excepted of the Nohrian elders) after all, and he always saw fit to apply the methods he was taught to the maid.

He always anticipated the idea that Felicia would be angry at him one day over it, since he wasn't _that_ oblivious of people's feelings, but nonetheless, he was still quite surprised at it, because it was… Felicia. She wasn't weak by any means, and was ready to take action (as reluctant as it was) against her own sister for the sake of peace, but the fact that she could still get angry came off as a surprise.

"I see, I…"

"A-and now that you're returning, I'm going to have to just take it all again, right ? B-because, honestly, I was glad about… your absence." She admitted, causing Jakob to actually wince a little. "Y-yeah, it's rude to say something like this, but, well…"

Jakob would've cut her off by now, but instead, he was stuck there, a bit lost on how to respond. He knew that it was unbecoming of him, especially since he saw such a day coming, yet alas…

"… Peri was pretty good… I mean, after she stopped with the attempted murder and all. And when I saw her beat her… tendencies, I thought, err, if she can beat back her bloodlust, why can't I defeat my clumsiness ? Err, anyway. I… learned more out of her, ironically, than out of you, and she… wasn't trying to be rude, you know ?"

The idea that Peri would prove to be a better teacher than Jakob would've enraged him otherwise, but he was a bit wiser now, and perhaps a little ashamed by what Felicia said.

"Understandable."

"You're… a good person underneath it all, like Lady Beruka, but sometimes, it can get just a bit tiring, you… you know ?"

"I think I do." He admitted. "I apologize for lashing out against you beforehand, during the dinner. Such comments were crude and unbecoming."

"Yeah, they were…"

"I was, perhaps, jealous of you… You did get to come back and serve Lord Corrin, after all, while I was away."

"W-well, I'm not the only one helping out, but they're off-duty for now, since he thought that I could handle it… And he'd help. A-anyway, you're jealous ?"

"Yes. I had to serve other masters over the course of the year, but as you heard, none of them matched up with Corrin. After coming back from Cyrkensia, and receiving that letter from Elise."

The princess waved in the background, and pointed at the pot.

"It's hot !"

"… Quite correct. Erm, I was a bit envious of you."

"T-there's not much to…"

She shook her head.

"I mean, if you want, we could work together, like in the old days… it's just that I swore to grow, and I don't want to go back to being the shy Felicia, you know ?"

"That's understandable." He admitted. "Flora would be proud."

Felicia smiled at that.

"I don't dislike you, Jakob. You're a great butler and fighter, and a caring person in the end. But I've… changed, and I don't want to just go back to the old dynamic."

"I'm fine with that." He said. "Perhaps I underestimated just how much people can change over the year…"

"W-well, Beruka's a mother now, so is Effie…"

"You're correct… anyway. These glasses should be on the table."

Jakob turned around but then managed to perform a perfect 180 degree spin, ending up facing Felicia again.

"And your tea was most excellent."

…..

"Uhhhhh…"

Kana grunted softly as she attempted to reach for her mother's headband. Corrin observed, body language somewhat crisped because of Sakura's earlier presence, though he seemed to soften slowly in presence of his child.

"She's a beautiful baby." Complimented Effie. "And you hold her so well…"

"I read some books on it."

"Nonono… it's instinctual. You just know how to hold a baby… you know ?"

Beruka opted to agree, slowly cradling the dragon's child. Percy was close to the assassin, observing Kana with much curiosity in his eyes. The baby sometimes stared down at him, and imitated his confused little expression. He even attempted to offer his hands, as if to hold her, but Beruka quietly denied it.

"Behold, Percy ! This is Kana ! She may look just a bit different than us, but I except that you will not get…" Declared Arthur, crouching next to his son.

He snapped his fingers, searching for an appropriate word. "Discriminate" was likely beyond a young toddler's ability to understand.

"Mean ?" said Corrin.

"Yeah ! Mean ! Only a villain would reject someone because they look different !"

"Aw, Arthur… he's a bit too young to realize this, don't you think ?"

"It is a wise advice." Said Corrin. "Children can definitely have trouble grasping such things."

"Indeed, Corrin ! But you're right Effie at the same time, perhaps I should be at ease with the boy !"

Percy looked up at his father in surprise, though soon, he started to yawn, looking, perhaps, a bit bored.

"Oh, it looks like Percy's getting a bit… yawny ! Have no fear, though… for I… have forgotten to bring some toys for him."

"I've got some upstairs." Said Corrin. "They're meant for Kana when she'll get to that age, but he can use them !"

"Would that be true ? You possess advanced wisdom, Corrin !"

"Yeah… well, I bought them a bit in advance and they're gathering dust right now so…"

"I see ! Well, have no fear, for we shall introduce these toys to the light of the day !"

Corrin looked back at Beruka, and she nodded. The two men (and the tiny boy) promptly left to get upstairs, with Arthur picking up his son on his shoulders to do so.

Soon, both Effie and Beruka were alone… well, three people were in the same floor, but that was satisfying enough for Beruka.

"Effie." She began. "There is something that I'd like to ask of you ?"

"Oh ? What would that be ?" She said, before smiling coyly. "Oh… a mother thing."

"Indeed."

The blue-haired assassin was a little hesitant about approaching the situation, if only because it sounded so _petty_, but alas, the former knight seemed to understand her.

"I feel like Kana prefers her father over me."

"Oh, I understand that perfectly." Answered Effie. "Babies like to attach themselves to one parent, but there are ways to counter that… well, a little."

"Could you deliver them to me ?"

"Well, Arthur was the one to who was… shafted. And he just spent time with Percy. I… can't explain it, but he carried him, or cradled him, kept him close."

Effie shrugged and settled in her couch.

"How much do you interact with Kana ?"

"Often. But hugging is…"

"Difficult ?"

"A little, yes. I do feed her and interact with her, but it is a little difficult for me to… cuddle her."

"That's fine." Said Effie. "You should do that more often. Well, just don't start out covering Kana with hugs. But just… do what Corrin does, perhaps ? With his hand."

"I'll try…" Affirmed Beruka. "I've never been much of the hugging sort."

"That's alright. But… just the occasional hug, or making funny faces."

Beruka silently pointed at herself.

"I mean, you could try to work with your husband on that… but I assure you, the baby doesn't dislike you, Beruka, let alone hate you. It's a complicated little woman, for sure, but it loves you all the same."

In answer, the woman quietly brought Kana up, to a point where her daughter was relatively close to her face, and stared, attempting to smile down at the princess. In answer, the baby stared back, grinned, and moved to catch the tip of her nose. Beruka could only react in annoyance to the fact, silently contemplating the giggling Kana, though eventually, she did smile back at her.

"See ? You're doing it well."

"Indeed…" Declared Beruka. "Thank you for the counsel… I may still have a way to go though."

"That's correct, but we're here now, aren't we ?"

Beruka nodded, and the two women stared at one another. Kana kept grasping away at her mother's nose.

"Do you want me to help or… ?"

"Yes."

…

**A/N : **I know that Jakob is probably looking like a jackass here, but I tried to make him look good in the end ? My goal isn't really to bash characters after all, haha. I don't really dislike any of Fates's characters, but if I did, I'd still try to make them justice.

Surprise Sakura cameo ! I know that it sound a little far-fetched, but I figured that she asked to visit Corrin's place, if only to salute, and the royals had to agree. That, or _someone_ didn't lock the gate behind in time.

There might be something for Hinoka later on, but again, nothing too long !

I'd still need a tide breaker for the follow-up fic ! I still have some materials to go for this one, but we're getting close to the beginning of the wrap up.


	24. Of wooden swords and future

"Blah !" Said Percy, grabbing a hold of a wooden little sword and holding it up, pointing it most menacingly at his father and Corrin.

"Ah ! My bandit friend ! We're done for ! We attacked this hero of justice excepting an easy fight, but alas, his power is too great for the like of us to overcome with cowardly tactics !"

"Aarrrrrrrr, ye'd be correct, partner." Said Corrin, putting forth a convincing bandit impression, and chuckling to himself. Arthur seemed to be taking his role seriously enough, but the dragon prince had to stop himself from giggling away, though he couldn't stop himself from doing that, with the ridiculous accent and all. What was it with bandits and speaking like that ?

The two men and a boy stood in a room close to the bedroom, destined to be Kana's room when she grow up (though, for now, it was a secondary guest room of a manner). It was a relatively normal room (for now), with a decent-sized bed and a tiny window leading to the garden. Several locked closets had toys in them, meant to amuse a newborn or toddler.

"Buh !"

Percy lunged forward and dared to attack three times, in a clumsy manner. Corrin used his sword to fend him off the first two times, but then let himself get hit in the chest, dramatically clutching the spot where he was hit and falling on his back, to Arthur's obvious, surprisingly well-acted panic.

"Behold ! He fell the mighty bandit in one blow ! What chance do I have ?!"

Percy would've struck Arthur as well, but the sight of the "dead" Corrin caused him to crawl over to where he was, attempting to pat him on the head, in concerned confusion. Corrin got back up as a result, smiling and dropping his sword.

"You got me good, Percy, haha !"

In answer, the young boy smiled and started to head for Arthur, attempting to slay him as well. Arthur's death was as dramatic as Corrin's, though the prince's speech was not as urgent. Once again, Percy's fun stopped temporarily after he felled the former retainer, and the hero's resurrection caused him to drop the sword to cheer, clapping his hands several times over awkwardly.

"He's pretty adorable." Complimented Corrin.

"Indeed ! He has his mother's fair face but as you can see, he is preoccupied with justice, to the point of caring for the very enemies who attacked him ! A most noble endeavour, for not every bandit is truly scum."

"He's going to be a good man when he grow up."

"That is my dearest hope… ha, and on that subject, if this doesn't bother you…"

"What would I want Kana to grow into ? That's a fair question Arthur." Answered Corrin, as Percy proceeded to appropriate a white ball of a sort. The prince observed it, aware that it was, according to the red-haired shop owner, "very bouncy" and could easily end up smashing into something fragile. Thus, he held his hand out, inviting Percy to hand it over so that he could toss it in his stead.

After all, the toddler had no easy control on his strength, whereas Corrin's greater-than-normal amount of physical might inspired him to be very careful with his power. After all, when stone is as fragile as foam to you, you've got to be careful with your power.

Briefly, he thought that he was going to need to teach Kana not to accidentally break stuff, though he knew that his physical abilities seemed to grow stronger with Yato's awakening, meaning that Kana was probably not going to be able to pull off his feats until a while... at least he hoped to, or else, he and Beruka were both heading for a powerful headache.

"I want her to make friends and not to be thrust in the heart of war. What she does in life is her choice, but I want to make sure that she grow up to become a good person and never get to face the hardships that I've faced."

"A most noble goal, and I understand your position on letting her decide." Said Arthur. "Consider that you've brought the peace that she'll get to enjoy."

Corrin winced, and had to put less effort in tossing the ball. Indeed, it bounced in place repeatedly, fascinating the young Percy.

"My dearest dream as a father is that she experience a life opposite of mine, actually. She'll have friends, she won't need to fight in a pointless war and her destiny will not be tied to a sword, powerful as it is." He said, aware that he was repeating himself.

"Friends, Corrin ? But you're brought several over to your house !"

"I mean, not having friends when growing up !" He reassured, raising his hands. "I've got plenty now, of course. But… I had Silas and my siblings and servants but otherwise, I was kind of stuck in a fortress. I want for Kana to be able to discover the world outside and make even more friends ?"

They both looked down at Percy, and Arthur stopped himself from responding, opting to take Percy's little toy away from him before he could swallow it.

"Haha, perhaps Percy –let me throw the ball- could serve such a function ? He is but one year older !"

"Yes !" Admitted Corrin, folding his arms. Arthur proceeded to wait a little before speaking up.

"So… apparently, my friend, you've managed to cross Dreiz on foot ?"

"Well, I didn't run from one end to another ! I was at Izumo and I decided to join Beruka."

"Perhaps you could've used a Warp Spot ?" Said Arthur. "They offer those depending on urgencies, and wouldn't refuse to help a member of royalty !"

"Errr, I was… in a bit of a hurry."

"Oh, I am not criticizing you ! It is a very commendable feat, both in terms of parenthood and in physical might !"

"Yeah… I wouldn't do it again, though. It kind of badly winded me."

"Haha, my friend, surely you are underselling yourself ! You were up on your feet a day afterwards, isn't that right ?"

Corrin kind of agreed.

"See, my friend, when parents need to do something for their children, greater powers are bestowed upon them ! Effie would tear through several facelesses for Percy, and I'd dare to duel King Xander himself for him as well ! You crossing through the continent is a manifestation of that parental strength that drive us all !"

"That's pretty inspiring !" He said. "Yeah, if it were for Kana, I'd fight Garon all over again, and Beruka would do so again."

"Ah, Beruka !" he said, snapping his fingers. "Speaking of her, I wonder what manner of conversation she's having with Effie !"

Percy came up to them, holding the ball. Corrin picked it up and lightly threw it, with the child observing it with interest.

"Perhaps they're talking about being mothers ? Beruka seemed to be concerned over something, and was excepting some guidance out of Effie ! After all, I can assure you that babies are particular to handle !"

"Kana cried about three times tonight." Said Corrin, wearily. At that, Arthur let out a familiar laughter.

"The deadliest part of taking care of a baby ! I more than emphasize, Corrin, for I too lost sleep over it !"

"How did you deal with this ? Don't worry though, I've found a method to distract her, I'm not suffering."

"Well, sometimes, you need to rely on your wife, since the baby might be thirsty, or change them !"

He quietly agreed. Percy seemed to be busy poking at the ball with his toy sword, and Corrin thought that perhaps they should get back into playing with him soon, before he grow too bored. Children tend to be fickle after all, and they couldn't just try to distract him while having the grown-up talk. The fact that Arthur was being straight-forward indicated that he, too, probably wanted to deal with the topic quickly, though he got back to his old habits quickly.

"But sometimes, they are merely distressed by the darkness, or require attention ! And in such cases, we were more than ready to drag ourselves out of our peaceful dreams to provide the boys with respite from the night !"

"Oh, you both did it ?"

"Why, yes ! Well, you know Effie : The woman is inexhaustible ! Perhaps she only sleep to access a mental training ground of a sort !"

"I see. I… well, I usually take care of it, except, well, when she's just hungry, you know ? Because I… anyway. Yeah, Beruka's usually a bit tired and I don't want to bother her. I… you've seen my little hand trick I do on Kana ?"

"Ha yes, the evil spider !"

"Yeah, I amuse her with it. Perhaps I should let Beruka attempt to bond with her ?I fear that she might just be a little distant with her, sometimes."

"Beruka certainly can be a special mother." He said. "Perhaps you could both talk about it ? After all, if I'm right, then Effie and her must be having a discussion similar to ours ! Why, I could even argue that I can hear them bond over it right now !"

"You've got some good hearing." Laughed Corrin.

"Indeed, my most wise friend ! But let us switch to another topic : the fight at hand between the hero of justice and us !"

Percy held up his wooden sword again, smiling, and Corrin figured that he could play the bad guy one more time.

…

It took them more time than they thought, but Percy finally allowed exhaustion to take over, resting, alas, after saving the village from the dreadful bandits. Arthur seemed to truly enjoy himself, though Corrin hoped that the others wouldn't be bored : It was a meeting, after all, and instead, they all scattered in the house, having their own conversations or discussions.

Arthur picked up his son and they exited the room, though Corrin bothered to clean everything before leaving as well.

Walking down the stairs, the two men found Beruka and Effie, though Elise was with them. Silas and Charlotte were in the dining room as well, with the former attempting to point out important portraits or book to the blonde, who observed them and tried to look interested in the topic.

"Oh, you're back… awwww, Percy is all tuckered out." Said Effie, as Arthur sat next to her. Looking back, Corrin could see that Beruka was cradling Kana, though the baby seemed more amused than anything, smiling and grasping at the air occasionally. She only stopped when Beruka turned her eyes to focus on Corrin, with the blue-haired baby smiling further upon recognition.

"Sorry for the absence." He said to the assassin. "I'm… going to be back soon, but I've got to speak with Izana."

"This is fine." Communicated Beruka, though she felt a bit of disappointment crawl through her usually composed tone. "Do not forget that we will need to eat soon, though;"

"Of course." He answered. "Hm… You've had a good talk with Effie ?"

"Yes… we talked about… mother stuff." Piped in Effie. "And work-out training."

Corrin chuckled at that, and turned towards Kana briefly. For once, she didn't seems to mind being in her mother's arms for too long, inspiring him into joining up with Izana while he could.

"Please, do not take too long dealing with him." She said. "He's… eccentric."

"Don't worry, I won't be long at all !"

Corrin briefly considered kissing her on the cheek, but relented, figuring that others were watching (and Beruka was still pretty prideful). Thus, he briefly opted to caress Kana's little head before taking his leave, opening the door and, for a brief instant, fearing that Sakura and her retainers would still be in the garden, engaged in a talk with Izana or simply waiting for him to come out, but fortunately enough, there was only the spiritual lord, pointing out the bizarre flowers scattered amongst the garden.

The prince approached, intending for a quick conversation.

"Apologies, Milord. I've spent too much time."

"Milord ? Oh no, Corrin, I'm your guest ! Izumians traditions say that I'm the guest, and that means that you're my boss as long as I inhabit your domain ! You can get me to dance anytime you like, or str"

"I-I understand very well sir ! I mean, Izana !"

"Good ! Well, don't worry ! It was a treat to walk in your garden ! Nohrian flowers are… flowers." Commented Izana, prodding at a plant, only to gaze in awe when the plant proceeded to burrow underground in answer.

"Thanks ! It… must be your first time in Nohr. I hope that you appreciate it."

"Well… it's certainly a pretty fascinating country, hm ? I never really visited it until now ! The previous king was not much of a party-goer, and the bandits… ah, unfortunately enough, they cared little about laws !"

"Well, your presence here indicate that things have been better, hasn't it ?"

"Of course ! Well, it's quite the fascinating countryside. Pretty different from the norm if you ask ! When I was but a small boy, I was brought to Hoshido, or the Elemental Tribes villages, or even Notre Sagesse but never to Nohr ! Ohh, Nohr ! It was always "Oh, my boy, do not waste your time with the country of blight, where the land is as ill as the minds of its inhabitants !" Straight out of my mom's mouth ! Sorry about that."

Corrin smiled patiently, while the guards looked bored. They had some weapons, perhaps out of necessity, but they looked unwieldy with them, and occasionally looked in disgust at the vegetation, though they were quick to take a straight stance when they noticed that the prince of Nohr was looking at them, though he didn't glare at them, aware that Nohr was quite the hostile place.

"But… well, it's true that the land is suffering. Oh boy, that was quite the parting gift from Qlipoth !"

"Quite correct."

"But the inhabitants are much nicer than excepted ! Well, now that Garon is dead at least !"

"That's kind of you to say, since…"

"Ha, Zola ? I knew that you'd mention him again ! But I know better than to judge a country based solely on one person, you know ? And even if I did, ultimately, I'd be quite the hypocrite, since Nohrians saved me from, well, Nohrians !"

"And those Nohrians took the place of the bad ones, right ?"

"Corrrrect ! Well, people aren't just "bad"… well, except in Iago's case, or Hans, or Zola's, or Garon."

"Garon wasn't even interested in Nohr in the end. He just wanted to cause as much harm as possible… I know that some doubt of his true nature, though."

"Wellll… I don't want to be a pessimist, or spoil the mood –I quite hate that !- but it's true that to others, it can be a bit hard to accept. I stand with you, and know that you tell the truth, but… well, to be honest, and I say that as a friend, and guest, and loser of a bet, but it's a bit…"

"Lord… Izana, say your truth with no fear."

"Ah ! Apologies ! Well, people aren't ready to just accept something like this ? Everything to blame on a monster and his two minions… three, even. I'm not looking to kill your party mood, since that'd be a _crime_, yet…"

"My party mood is… as strong as ever. I'm aware of what you're saying, and that's why I've been on diplomatic missions." He said. "Or why I've been receiving people at the castle. It's a short walk away, so it's easier. Nohr's wrong, as you're correct to say, isn't entirely on those three, but we're working to redeem ourselves. I know that there's much to do before we can begin to make up for what we did though…"

"That's fair, in the future… oh, yes, the future !"

Corrin attempted to sound calm, but truthfully, the nature of Izana's words put him on edge. In a controlled fashion, he attempted to brush his hair, nervously. The bald Izana stared back at him, indignantly, but continued.

"Don't be nervous about it ! The gods have contacted me to say… lots of stuff ! But, well, the important part was that the path to the invisible has been closed ! From what I've gathered, at the very least, you're set to live happy lives !"

"The path to the invisible ? What is this ?"

"I'd tell you to ask the gods, but, err, that's my job. I take it as you being safe from those weird purple folks that showed up in your little palace dimension !"

"O-oh, that's reassuring… Have you seen anything about Kana ? Well…"

"Nope ! I'll warn you if I hear something but there's no sign of doom for you !"

"I see… have you come all the way here to warn me ?"

"Not quite ! I'm here for a reunion with the King ! It's set for tomorrow, and you miiigghhttt end up meeting with… well, you know."

So that's why he hasn't been warned, perhaps ? It was nice of Xander, but a little short-sighted. Sakura waltzed in the house with little trouble after all.

"…"

"I'm not saying : Don't show up ! But, it's not going to be a fun party… or even a party at all." He said, scratching his bald head. "So, err, you be careful."

"I shall be ! Do you wish to join the festivities !"

"Hmm, no, don't worry ! I'm just a poor bald Izumian ! Have fun with your little family, Corrin, you deserve it !"

"Very well. Don't be afraid of Windmire at night ! It has some good restaurants !"

"Oh, I'll be sure to check them out ! Farewell !"

Izana turned around and promptly left with his troops, though Corrin insisted to open the gate for him.

It was all smile for the leader, but when the dragon prince got to turn around, his face was much more conflicted, if only because the Hoshidians were here, the very people that he wronged.

And could he dare to just hide in his manor for the meeting ? Could he be that cowardly ?

Corrin smiled, to avoid another disruption, and walked forward, heading for his house.

…..

**A/N : **Surprise change in profile picture ! I've got to thank PsiYoshi for that one !

Kind of inconsequential, I know, but it does set up a pretty important event for later !

That's 2 for Hoshido, will someone step up for Nohr ? Ha, and it might not be Rinkah, unfortunately, but I could try to feature her. She's not amongst my favourite in the cast but as I said, that doesn't really affect how I do a character (and I don't dislike any of the playable characters !)

I've been using Arthur and Effie a bit more than I thought I'd do, but the fact that they're pretty stable and have more "experience" with raising a baby kind of give them relevance. And they're pretty fun to write. I do hope that you enjoy their appearances, by the way, I'd hate to shove characters in your face.

As usual, reviews and critics are greatly appreciated ! Don't be shy, I like any criticism.

See ya !


	25. Of hot soup and missing letters

Corrin had a lot of things on his mind as he went back inside, but he still managed to put up a happy face none the less, aware that the meeting has been disrupted enough as it is. And beside, he wasn't very interested in becoming the main focus of a pity party of a kind. Those people already had enough troubles going on, and they didn't need to concern themselves with his matters any further.

Now, perhaps one could see this as him refusing help once more, but the prince _was_ going to talk with Beruka about it tonight, he just didn't want to drag the guests into it.

Walking up the garden, Corrin entered the manor once more and stretched his arms, only now noticing that Jakob was working with Felicia, though they had some support from Silas. The prince didn't bother to correct them, since they seemed to be having a pleasant discussion for once, and just sat down next to Beruka.

"You're back." She commented.

"He was a bit less talkative than usual." He answered. Aware that she was probably tired of holding Kana by this point, he proposed to take over, holding his hands out. It took her a little time, but the assassin did eventually hand the baby over, though Corrin noticed that the baby was a bit confused at this, looking up at her mother with something akin to regret before she realized that she was now being held by her father, causing the regret to vanish.

The prince put his hand on the back of her head and neck to support her (with part of his forearm on her back) and put his second hand on her back, before leaning back on the couch, staring at her in content. His worried diminished whenever he was with family and friends, but somehow, his daughter weakened them by an even larger margin, perhaps because he had even more hope for the future, or because his responsibility as a father made it easier for him to pull free from his anxieties.

Or perhaps she was just an adorable little ball of sunshine. Especially in her red pajama, d'aw.

A hand crept into his vision, and Corrin looked to the side, as Beruka started to attempt to rub Kana's belly or head. The months-old baby giggled in answer, even if the assassin was a bit less experienced with it than the prince, who stared at her, smiling softly. In answer though, she stared back, with a small nod.

"I… thought I could try your method."

"You're doing it pretty well judging by her reaction."

"Well, she is a baby. They are wonderfully easy to please, aren't they ?"

"Not at night." He said, and she actually smiled at him for it. Then, they both looked down, noticing that Kana successfully managed to snatch at one finger, holding unto it with interest. Corrin chuckled somehow, while Beruka appeared to briefly regain her seriousness before, once more, choosing to smile down at Kana, in an attempt to reassure her.

"Hm, Silas was right. She has quite a grip."

"She's part dragon." He answered. "We might need to make some reinforced walls, just in case."

He smiled, but his tone implied that it was only a half-joke, causing Beruka to answer it with a thoughtful nod.

"If it isn't rude to ask. What did the Izumian… apologies, Lord Izana talk about ?"

"Hm… it was his first time in Nohr and he talked to me about it."

"Ha, yes, the first time in Nohr."

"I think he find the place dreadful, but he like the inhabitants."

"Surely he could've talked to us all if he wanted to talk about Nohr."

"Well, after that, he did tell me that the path to the invisible was closed… well, the gods told him, and he told that to me."

"If he wanted to engage in a cryptic dialogue of a sort, perhaps he should've sent a letter."

Kana attempted to suck unto the finger she was holding, but Beruka did manage to pull herself free in time. The youngest person in the room gazed confusedly at thin air for a while, though she forgot about it when her mother's hand came back for a second round.

"He was here for a meeting, or so he told me. That's why Sakura was here…"

"Then what is Elise…"

"I think it's for tomorrow." Said Corrin. "Maybe Elise is here to… distract us ? I mean, I don't think that Xander and the others want for me to walk in the castle when Hinoka and the others are located here… it might…"

"Kill the democratic talk ? Well then, Izana's presence is understandable, but your siblings should not have kept you in the dark, since the Hoshidian diplomats can apparently waltz in our home uninvited."

"…"

"I'll talk about this with Lady Camilla soon."

"W-well, I might come off as a coward if I just send my wife to do this for me. I know the palace and I could… avoid Hinoka if you want."

"I could do it tonight if you want to. And I know how to sneak around."

"I just don't want for them to get the wrong idea." He admitted. "I do appreciate it but… maybe we could go together ? I don't feel comfortable just letting you walk in and argue with my siblings. I know that you can handle yourself, of course, and I'm not trying to be… controlling, but it'd be best if I… join you, instead of letting you handle everything."

She nodded with each sentences.

"A-again, it's not me not trusting you. But…"

"I understand it well enough. And I gladly accept your offer. Your siblings have unquestionably done a lot to help us, and I do not desire to be ungrateful, but at the same time, one should point out a mistake or error when it is done."

"C-correct." He answered. "Anyway, before we begin to plot our revenge… maybe we should try to dine ?"

"Revenge ?" Said Elise, poking her head out of the doorway. Corrin actually looked surprised, but Beruka blinked once.

"Hello, Elise."

"O-oh. It's just… a funny expression that I use." Said Corrin. In answer, Elise chose to put her hand over her mouth, laughing in a way that was definitely a bit similar to Camilla, though Beruka could tell that she was _trying_ to sound like her, instead of merely being influenced without knowing it. Her fingers were still avoiding Kana's attempted grabs with ease, to the baby's frustration.

"I've heard you talk a bit about our big siblings ! But it's… kinda weird that you're not aware of it." Said Elise. "We did try to keep it a secret but, well, I had a little hesitation so I opted to send you a letter."

"We're next to the castle."

"Y-yeah, but I can't sneak out… so I thought, hey, I'm just going to send a tiny letter to explain everything ! But… well, apparently you never read it ? Or was it never received ?"

"Has to be the latter. I try to be thorough with letters, even the ones that are just there to advertise new restaurants down the… nevermind."

"How did you send it ?"

"I asked a… messenger, said "it's super important so be stealthy", all that jazz." She said. "I've got a little network on my own, y'know !"

"Oh, that's fascinating ! What kind of network ?"

"Oh, sending letters to a guy I like… to talk with ! And also Effie and Arthur. That's how I got to know about the meeting !"

Corrin seemingly hesitated between teasing her about what she slipped or continuing the little interrogation. However, they were all interrupted by Felicia nearly bursting into the dining room, holding a pot as if letting go of it would led to an explosion of some kind.

"Meal's ready ! Let's eat before it burns ! A-and I'm not kidding !"

Elise wisely deserted for the table, and was followed suit by the others : The discussion would be for later.

…

The adults were all present on their seats, though Arthur was fearfully looking at his own chair from time to time. As dark and majestic as it was (very much like the rest of the furniture), he could still hear some worrying creaks escape it from time to time, though only he seemed to hear them.

By comparison, Percy and Kana were sitting on baby chairs, though even _those_ looked tall and regal, providing great contrast between them and the two youthful Nohrians sitting on them. Percy had a little plate with some food on it, but Beruka took the responsibility of keeping the small plate next to her, since Kana would always attempt to seize the plate to appease her hunger, spreading bits of meat or soup everywhere.

While the youngsters had some decently hot food, the adults's plates were filled with soup comparable to lava, with some meat inside. Silas, out of curiosity, even attempted to poke at the soup with his fork, before drawing it back to stare at it, as if he thought that the cutlery would be melted down to nothing by sheer heat.

"Behold the Demon's Falls !" Said Felicia. "It-it's inspired from the lava flow we've got… the one that's, err, pretty close to the city. W-whoah, Nohr's pretty unique. Anyway, I was huh inspired. It's a little hot but I can make it colder if you want, it's easy for me."

Corrin just started eating, seemingly without caring much about the heat, and nodded.

"It's great ! You guys should try it !"

Beruka, opting to stall so that the food may grow colder, dug into the other plate with a small spoon and (after seeing that it was much colder than the main course, thank the Dusk Dragon), fed it to Kana. The baby was resistant to sleep, but not eating : She even outright leaned in to eat before drawing back. Beruka dug back, and fed her once again, though Kana attempted to grab the spoon, perhaps out of amusement, or perhaps because she thought that capturing it would allow her to eat more.

Percy, by comparison, was a bit harder to feed.

"Nu !"

"Percy…"

Arthur, noticing his wife's predicament, held up his spoon and promptly took a bite out of the "Demon's Fall", shoving the nearly-melting spoon into his mouth before smiling proudly at his son. With the same bravado, he promptly started to drink some water, never attempting to show the impact of the burning food on his face. Percy seemed impressed enough to imitate him, thoughtfully swallowing the feast bestowed upon him before seemingly looking disappointed at how mild it was.

Beruka started eating, not quite fazed by the heat in hindsight. Silas and Charlotte fared worse, taking hesitant bites and attempting to stall it by engaging in a conversation. Jakob, meanwhile, was unfazed, though he sometimes stopped to "savour" (and get his eye to twitch).

Elise was attempting to blow on the soup, receiving assistance from Felicia in that endeavour. The maid went over the rest of the reluctant warriors, though Arthur denied any help, and so did his wife, who seemed to actually welcome the heat.

"S-so, what did you… all… talk about ?" said Silas, smiling widely, his face as red as the soup.

"W-we-were… engaging in a conversation about fatherhood and… playing with Percy."

"Aaaah, the little brig _cough_ _silas dear pass me some water immediately_ _cough_ apologies… brigand game ?"

"Why yes ! I must say, your brigand accent is impeccable Corrin !"

Corrin blushed and leant forward a bit, coughing a little. Beruka patted him in the back in answer, while also feeding Kana.

"I'm just used to it I guess…"

"As for we, we talked about… mother stuff." Said Effie, with Beruka quietly nodding along.

"How odd. For the two of you to be the first to mother a child… no offense."

"None taken, Jakob. Then again, all of us in the army are quite unique, aren't we ?"

"This is umpf mifumpf pf mofhof." Said Felicia, taking a bite herself.

"Yes." Replied Beruka.

"I meant, miracle of motherhood !" Finished the maid.

"Yeah… well, babies don't just fix everything, you know ? At the risk of sounding harsh, they also bring new… problems. Having a baby is fantastic, and it's wonderful to raise one. But it require patience, it will change your routine forever, and you need to be at the top of your game. You're not just taking care of a doll, after all. It's a person who _will_ grow up and will impact the world in some way ! You will need to raise them with love and care, establish wrong and right, and make sure that they become good people. It's demanding."

Jakob stared at Effie, in surprise, but then smiled and began to stroke his chin. Silas, Felicia and Charlotte seemed to be a bit more confused, though Silas was less so. Corrin and Beruka, however, were content with smiling. Arthur was content with embracing her outright, content, under Percy's gaze. Elise, meanwhile, had the proudest grin on her face, though she attempted to pass it off as "proper", dropping her eyes slightly and attempting to smile just a little less.

Kana reached for a nearby mosquito.

"Why are you looking at me like that ?" Said Effie.

"Oh, I'm just… reflecting." Said Jakob. "I had a little talk with Felicia, and it truly made me realize that we've all changed, in a way. I mean… that seems pretty obvious, I'm aware, but ever since the end of the war, I've always been in my little bubble."

Jakob observed the room for a moment.

"And in my absence, well, children were born, couples were made… I'm not an idiot, I am aware that time will always progress forward, but since I was absent, all that progress is all the more surprising."

"That's quite correct, Jakob. And I get what you're saying." Said Silas. "You know, I still think of "yesterday" as the day when the war ended."

"I wonder what would happen if we were to hold more of those meetings ?" Thought Elise. "That way, we could sort of unite every year ! And bring even more people !"

"Peri would be interesting." Suggested Corrin.

"Niles too ?" Suggested Silas.

"Hurgh, he's content with just slapping a golden eyepatch on !" Said Charlotte.

"We could hold them at the castle too." Suggested Elise. "I mean, your house is nice, but that way, we get Camilla and big bros !"

"That'd require a lot of shuffling." Said Silas. "But… well, perhaps we could try ?"

"I enjoy the prospect of new parties, yet I bemoan the absence of some of our shining members !"

"I could get Benny for you ! I'd bet he come back just for you !"

"Hm… Gunter is absent. Nyx is… I don't think she'd like such a reunion anyway. Yeah, Selena, Odin and Laslow are the ones missing thus far."

Mozu wasn't really a "member" anymore, and that was that.

"Now… to eat !" Said Arthur.

…

"W-well, Lord Corrin, I'm going to rest a little now ! Don't hesitate to call me up if you need anything though !"

"We'll make sure to do that. Thanks !"

Felicia bowed a little and left, leaving both Beruka and Corrin alone in the living room. Corrin was laid across the couch, one hand on his stomach, the other on his forehead, head resting on Beruka's lap. The former assassin was slowly stroking his hair, resting her chin on her left fist, elbow on an armrest.

"… It was quite a day." Commented the prince. "I'm a bit sore but that was pretty enjoyable."

"Hm. They weren't too invasive about Izana."

"Heh, he's known for being weird, isn't he ? They probably figured that he told me a bunch of nonsense, and they…"

"Would not be far from the truth."

"W-well… erm, anyway, you still want to go see Xander, Leo and Camilla tonight ?"

"I am not tired." She commented.

He blinked in confusion and shrugged sagely.

"Well, I don't even know why I'm tired. It's… dragon magic probably."

"You're not tired."

They looked at one another, Corrin attempted to look away, Beruka just followed his eyes, leaning forward, and the prince relented.

"I guess it's just too weird. Elise sent a letter but it went to the ether, apparently…"

"She must be truthful. If the letter was lost, then there was incompetence or interference."

"That rhy…"

"Corrin, I request you to be serious."

"Alright…"

"I'm going to at least consult with King Xander and ask him to investigate, or attempt to see with Camilla."

"Do you want me to accompany you ?" He said, hands resting on his stomach. He did look a little more winded than she thought he was going to be, though she blamed it on his stress more than anything.

"It's alright."

"But…"

"There's a chance that Hoshidians might be within the castle." She said. "Nohr isn't known for its embassies yet, they're probably residing within Krakenburg. I'll make the trip and you won't need to interact with them."

"What if they get hostile because…"

"If they get hostile, then it'd be a crime against Nohr." She declared. "And I've slain more fearsome than some mere diplomat. Stay at home, keep an eye on Kana, and see if you can't unwind."

He got up, and she followed suit, heading for the coat hanger and putting on a modest one. The prince stood in the doorway, seemingly a bit struck.

"Corrin ?" She asked.

"Y-yeah ?"

"I will not be gone for long. But if Kana wakes up, I trust that you know where the food is ?"

"I do." He nodded. Beruka smiled and turned around, though beforehand, she spoke once more.

"One last thing… When I get back, may I be in charge of amusing the baby at night ?"

At that, the prince was very quick to react, approving with a nod and a smile.

"Of course ! I must warn you, though, she's pretty stubborn."

"Take from her parents."

And, with that, Beruka opened the door and walked out !

…..

**A/N : **Things look pretty weird. What might be happening ?

On other news, I have an outline for the final stretch before the ending. I mean, I knew the ending from the start, but I've found a way to lead to it, you know ?

Otherwise, the chapter isn't that rich in informations, I'm aware !

Also thank you for the review, Deviro88 ! I'll be more prudent about the dialogue, but thanks about the compliment ! I do try to make the characters evolve in a way, or move past their quirks a little. I guess the house section is pretty much all about that in a way.

I do hope that I'm doing Beruka well. I don't really want to make her into a big softie yet. She's a lot more open than before (and if I ever get to the prequel of this fic, then it'll be shown just how much she evolved. Votes still up !) but my goal is to show that she's still got a prideful/reserved streak to her, and isn't too confortable with emotions yet.

Reviews and critics are very much appreciated, thank you for reading this far !

See you !


	26. Of tunnels and figures

It was cold out there in Windmire, but then again, this was expected out of the Nohrian nights. The country's cold climate was one of the reasons behind the desertion of the streets, leaving only particularly determined Nohrians, homeless people and bandits to roam them, and even then, with all the clean-up done to the streets, there remained few people, and most were walking down the street at a rapid pace.

Beruka closed the gate and locked it before pocketing the huge key. The cold was never a bother for the assassin, who had to get used to it early on in her life and often flew at fairly high altitude with her wyvern, so she barely reacted to it, merely digging her hands into her pockets and beginning her walk to Krakenburg's entrance, looking down at the ground.

The assassin stayed away from the alleys or "shortcuts". Not out of fear that she'd be ambushed, but simply because she didn't want to get delayed for even one second by some low-lives. And beside, the house was indeed next to the castle, to the point where Beruka was standing in front of it within the next minute. Six guards stood in front of it, wearing heavy armor and face-covering helmets, but they recognized her pretty immediately, allowing her to access the inner castle.

"Lady Beruka !"

Beruka stopped briefly and turned around, facing Peri, of all people. In the following months, the woman's hair grew slightly longer, almost reaching her back, and she was wearing a smaller set of glasses. She took back to wearing some cavalier uniform of a sort, though her ensemble was more generic and less "customized" like the one she wore during the war.

Her tics, however, were lesser. At the very least, Beruka saw no twitches.

"Peri." She answered.

"W-what are… I mean. We appreciate your presence in the castle but…"

"Be honest."

"W-well, you _can_ easily enter like anyone else but… we're housing diplomats ! And… well, no, it's not the fact that you're married to Corrin !"

"Hm."

"But… welllll, you did some damage yourself and… it's not that they'd be angered but…"

"Tell me where the diplomats stand, and I'll avoid them."

"W-well, sure, where do you want to go ?"

"I seek a rendez-vous with the king. There appear to be a security breach of a sort, and I have some grievances to raises witch him. Worry not, none of those are important… or any of your matter."

Peri smiled briefly in answer and twiddled with her fingers. The somewhat childish way she did it was one of the last reminders of the person she was before, and stood at odd with her new demeanor, but Beruka didn't pay it much heed.

"That's… alright, Beruka, I want to let you through. You're my superior, and you're… really intimidating, hehe but… well, when the diplomats are somewhereee, than so are the royals. I'm… not trying to mock you of course, but it might be a little hard to avoid them…"

The assassin did not react overtly, out of a certain prideful desire not to show confusion, but she did think of it a little. In hindsight, this was pretty obvious, but she somehow didn't consider it before acting on her instinct, perhaps because the royal family's failure to warn them caused her husband to be troubled for the rest of the day, as much as he attempted to hide it.

Corrin influenced her, many times in a good way, but he definitely bestowed some of his less favorable traits upon her at times, to her regret. She would not have gone ahead without carefully analyzing the situation beforehand, after all. Were emotions potentially this strong ? Could they drive her to act almost unconsciously, as if her body was driven on its own ? How troubling.

"How troubling."

Perhaps she could've followed Elise, instead of letting her go early on.

"Well, I think that… maybe Camilla… apologies, Lady Camilla is available."

"Why so ?"

"Well, she's meeting Lady Elise right now. Lady Camilla isn't much of a diplomat, is she ?"

Beruka snorted. Of course she was, but perhaps they just wanted to avoid a clash between her and the Hoshidian Queen, after all. The two had a rivalry of a sort during the war, and the two brothers desired to prevent anything that could result in more friction during the peace talk, perhaps.

Not that there wasn't already a whole lot of friction. The tension in the air was already proof enough of that. Hoshido lost much to Nohr, and so did the officials of the other city states or countries that were assigned to it. Except Izumo and Mokushu, with the former being neutral and the latter just having that much hatred towards Hoshido. True, Kotaro died soon after the Nohrian forces arrived in Mokushu, but the truth behind the matter was known to the two countries.

The details, of course, weren't worth exploring just now.

"Yes… anyway, I shall now go and see her. Thank you, good night."

Unfortunately enough, Peri wasn't willing to back off quite yet. Before Beruka could continue to walk down her path, the cavalier promptly put her hand in her shoulder, causing the assassin to stop. Usually, getting grabbed by Peri, even now, would be scary for anyone, but the woman quickly turned around, hand raised to prepare to intercept a bladed weapon of a sort.

"Peri."

"W-wait. You might need some help to get to their room, you know ? I…"

"'have been here longer than you. Away."

"W-wait, you don't understand. The palace has a lot of soldiers all over it, Hoshidian ones, and-"

"Then call up the army. It's an invasion." Replied Beruka, dryly.

"You… _calmdownpericalmdown_. I… alright, so, I wanna help you, Beruka. The palace has a lot of diplomats and, truth to be told, they want to complain. If they see you, they're going to try to complain about the traitor's wife walking in front of them and get in arms over it. We'll need to sneak around !"

"Hrm. This makes sense."

It didn't. But alas, if they were as paranoid as this, then she might as well indulge in their little bout of paranoia.

"So. I need to follow you to avoid the spots where the Hoshidians can be found ?"

"Indeed ! This will be a little difficult though, because of my armor… but don't you blame me, I'm."

Beruka shushed her and pointed at the halls. Indeed, more Nohrian soldiers were present, certainly for security's sake. But she could see, at the very end of the hallway, some Cyrkensian soldiers as well. Footsteps echoed everywhere around them, and the soldiers were either standing still or outright rushing from a place to another in a hurried manner.

"Calm down. I know how to move around here… Is there a nearby room with no soldiers nor servants within ?" She said, quietly.

"H-huh, yeah. Just follow me and… won't it look suspicious ?"

"No. Now move."

Peri did, and luckily enough for Beruka, she seemed to have the grade and presence from dissuading soldiers from inquiring about the nature of the presence of the princess. Perhaps one would find the idea of huge, armored quasi-giants hurriedly moving away from two young women amusing, but the new royal was focusing on her mission, and her first step as soon as they entered the storage room as the near end of the hallway was to close the door, before quite casually pushing a closet out of the way, revealing a tunnel of a sort.

"Ohhh, right ! Secret pa-"

"Be quiet." Ordered Beruka. "We must be stealthy. Those tunnels are not soundproof, after all. You can go. I will finish this mission on my own."

"W-well, wouldn't it be suspicious if I were to leave without you being in sight ? At least, maybe the other soldiers can think that we're just… discussing, right now."

Beruka did think of this, but the idea of sneaking with Peri came off as awkward. She did put on some armor after all, and had no experience with the field of stealth. Leaving her behind to talk… no, even now, the blue-haired knight would probably get bored rather quickly.

"Lock the door. And follow me. Don't make a sound…"

"Got i… oops, right, got it."

Beruka sighed.

…

Krakenburg's tunnels were built with the castle, though they weren't as numerous back then. During the invasion by Qlipoth, though, the tunnels proved key to the escape of the royal family, and thus, it was decided to build more of them, so that future rulers may be able to pull off a similar feat in the future. However, since the palace was never invaded again, the tunnels were mostly explored by young members of the royal family or impatient servants.

When they next saw use, it was during the concubine conflict, where the mothers and children alike used them to navigate around the castle, or commit their crimes quietly. Amongst the halls of the castle ran rumors of unfortunate maids or butlers (or even soldiers) stumbling upon tiny skulls in the tunnels. More tunnels were built at the time, but most ended up closed off.

After the end of the concubine wars, they saw similar use, though many assassins or ninjas also found themselves using them. During that period, some said that Garon would lure a few assassins in a specific tunnel, leading them into the Nohrian Army's training ground to be slaughtered. It was also at that time that some were built to lead to the "True Nohr" underground.

A long explanation to say : Beruka and Peri were wandering through the darkness, using small torches on the wall to sneak around. Luckily for them, no servants were currently using them, and no ninjas were attempting to sneak around as well, meaning that the two women were free to walk around.

"You… By Xander's mane, it's hot in there."

"Hm. It shouldn't take too long. I know what path to take."

"How would you know ?"

"I used those tunnels to gain access to Lady Camilla's room… after our first encounter. It's why I know that the storage room will be empty."

"Oh, so that's why the room is just so small… wow, an entire room just for you to arrive in, huh ?"

"Yes."

"But… what if it's closed ?"

"She'll know I'll be arriving."

"How ?"

"Elise does not keep secrets well."

The two women continued their silent walk, though eventually, Beruka reached the end of the tunnel. Beruka reached into two little rods of a sort and opened a small door, before leaning forward and opening yet another door, opening the closet and allowing the two women to enter the empty storage room once more, pushing through some objects to do so. Out of necessity, Beruka put them back in order and closed the door.

"That's elaborate… wait, how are you so confident about soldiers not being stationed in front of Lady Camilla's room ?"

"I already said why." Declared Beruka though, out of principle, she barely opened the door, peeking outside to see a lack of guards. In a way, having to sneak her way through the princess made her heart beat slightly faster than usual, as if she was in a mission. She didn't like it as much as she thought she would, if only because getting excited over such things was trivial.

Beruka waited, just in case, and opened the door, signaling for Peri to approach. The assassin could hear Elise's little chatter through the door, and her angered "what now ?" as Peri knocked on the door. Camilla, however, was calmer, quietly opening the door a little and, after laying her eyes on the former retainers, opening it wider, quietly inviting them in.

Elise, clad in a long dress of a sort, her hair down, observed the arrival of the two in confusion, nearly choking on the cookie that she was in the process of consuming. Camilla herself was decked in her white armor though, and looked a little more exhausted than normal, though she was quick to hide her exhaustion behind a smile, in a manner that reminded her of her husband.

The purple princess closed the door and looked back at her retainer.

"You're here a bit earlier than anticipated, Beruka." She said, smiling.

"Yes. Perhaps this'll give you more time to answer my question."

Peri awkwardly sat down next to Elise, who moved back just a little. The former madwoman crossed her legs awkwardly and looked at the sweets, gathered in a plate, itself sitting at the center of Camilla's bed.

"Why haven't we been told about the meeting, Camilla ?"

"What meeting ?" asked Peri.

"Dear… we tried to let Elise warn you with her letter, but unfortunately, it appears to have been intercepted ! We would've warned you directly, but alas, our hands were full. Believe me, we outright sent a messenger to your home but he…"

She snapped her fingers, and Beruka nodded.

"You should've warned us _days_ before the reunion, Camilla."

"Right, that's our fault, I assume… how did you discover it though ? I assume that Lord Izana slipped into your home ? He's…"

"Sakura did." Said Beruka,

Camilla looked surprised for a moment, and nodded gravely. Elise perhaps wanted to say something, but refrained from doing so, opting to observe them. Peri quietly reached into the plate.

"How uncouth of her."

"Right." Said Beruka. "But we would've been prepared for it, had you bothered to put in some more efforts."

"My dear, I like you, but please, do not attempt to get angry with me… Unfortunately enough, such events require one to be quiet. Bringing those foreign powers to Windmire without making a fuss was hard enough, after all. We had to do so quietly to prevent any interference from a low-life looking to make it to the history books."

Perhaps this was the reason why the other Nohrians never mentioned it during the dinner. That, or they were lying, which seemed likely for Silas since he was in the position to be aware of such events. She knew that Corrin's best friend probably intended to "protect" the prince, by keeping him in the dark about a meeting that could put him face-to-face with the victims of what he did, but the way he carried himself through the days without saying a thing was skillful.

Arthur, Effie and Jakob were probably unaware as well. That, or they were all sent as a distraction of a sort, to keep the couple at home.

Perhaps it was her paranoia speaking, and Beruka hoped so. Corrin was not fond of lies, after all, and while the youth would eventually forgive them, he would still probably feel hurt by it. As for Beruka, she had yet to really put them all under her test of "Trust", but would be disappointed in quite a few of them.

"Warp stuff, transportation through _another_ tunnel… we took a lot of measures to prevent any manner of risk. To be truthful, the fact that Sakura was able to somehow sneak in Windmire without causing any alarm is suspicious to me."

"I'm not lying." Said Beruka. "And I'm offended that you'd believe that I'd lie over matters relating to my husband's well-being."

Camilla folded her arms and nodded slowly, drawing everything in.

"Hm… this is definitely odd. She never left the castle, apparently."

"The letters intercepted… an Hoshidian princess walking in…"

Beruka nodded quickly, and began to head for the door, to Camilla's confusion.

"I must return home immediately." She said. "There are events afoot, and I wish to return to my family in time."

"What events ? Oh, you mean…"

"Sabotage." Finished Camilla, cutting off Elise. "Beruka, you must be aware that Hoshido would be unlikely to attempt to interfere with your husband, right ? This could cause a war."

"It doesn't matter. I will request an investigation tomorrow." Said the woman. "You may attempt to ask about this to the Hoshidian royals. Good night."

"This is a pretty complex matter, you know ?" Answered Camilla. "But right, return to your home immediately, and I'll attempt to investigate."

"W-w-wait, what's going on ?" Declared Elise. Peri, meanwhile, got up to join Beruka, exiting the room together.

"Where are you go… oh, right."

…

"How would you have opened the door without me ?"

"I would've forced it open."

Beruka and Peri were going down the tunnel leading to the original storage room. Though it was more like Beruka going down as fast as she could and Peri attempting to follow without causing a ruckus, which proved complicated. In frustration, the assassin turned around, and held her hand open.

"Give me the key then."

"W-wait, but then how…"

"It doesn't matter, use any story you want. Give-me-the-key."

Peri grumbled and tossed her key at Beruka, who accelerated her speed, soon accessing the original room and exiting the tunnel. In a flash, she was at the door, unlocking it and tossing the key to the floor before leaving the room, closing the door before the general next to it could peek (He could open it, and Peri would need some good excuses, but it wasn't the princess's priority).

Beruka waited until she was out of the castle and then began to run, worry etched upon her face. Was this a trap of a sort ? Hoshidians determined to attempt to torment Corrin ? Was it the actual Sakura or some sort of look-alike or fake ? Who intercepted both the messenger and the letter ? Why was it happening right when the Hoshidians were in town ?

She didn't care about the peace. If she went home and saw even a _scratch_ on Kana or Corrin, then Beruka would immediately head to Krakenburg, kick the door open, and slam the Hoshidian Queen's head against the stone table. It wasn't even a thought that she entertained for some seconds only to discard it, nor a simple little fantasy. If anything were to happen to her family, then she'd do just that, and it'd take much more than a castle full of some of the finest soldiers on Dreiz to stop her.

The assassin's eyes widened when she spotted a figure next to the door. She couldn't tell much, because of the cloak that was wrapped around the figure, but it was tall, and reaching for the gate !

"You !"

The figure dared to turn around, both in surprise and fright… and alas, Beruka stopped.

For after all, this was a person that she knew.

…

**N/A **: One more cliffhanger !

I'm gonna admit, I was stumped on how to justify the couple not noticing the meeting, lol. However, I thought that it'd make sense for the Nohrian royalty to try to be stealthy. After all, Nohr isn't popular, and they'd rather avoid accidents. Keeping things to the castle and doing them in secret work.

Nohr's soldiers are dutiful enough to avoid spelling beans anyway, especially since Xander picked some loyal soldiers for this endeavor.

Who might be the figure ? We'll be seeing it soon !

Don't forget : Reviews and critics are very much appreciated !

See ya !


	27. Of father figures and embraces

Beruka was not in the mood for discussion nor patience, to the point where the fact that she even bothered to slow down after recognizing the person in the hood was a miracle in itself, if only because it, admittedly, caught her by surprise.

The old man was a bit taller and wider than she thought he'd be, without his armor (which he was not wearing, being clad in dark fabric) but his recognizable scar made it easy to identify him as Gunter, Corrin's "true" parental figure (what's with one being dead and the other revealing itself to be a mud giant out to cause a world war). His presence near the house made sense, but after the initial surprise, Beruka was quick to assess that "talking with Gunter" was low on her list of priorities.

"Beruka ? What is the meaning of this ?"

"There is no time to ask. Follow me."

Beruka opened the gate using her key and began running, leaving the veteran behind. Gunter, awkward, nonetheless recognized that there was perhaps an urgency going on and, while he took the time to close the gate, he was also quick to break into a sprint, pushing his aged body to its limits. However, he couldn't keep up with the much younger assassin, who quickly opened the door by bashing at it with her shoulder.

The young woman leapt to get to the middle of the stairs and leapt once more to reach the first floor, running into Kana's room… and immediately getting caught by an harsh grip, being practically lifted off the floor. In her panic, she immediately wheeled backward, ready to shove her fist down the aggressor's jaw, but relented when Beruka had the time to identify her assailant, who stopped short as well after noticing who she was.

Corrin was standing next to the door, with a fallen chair at his feet as well as a tiny blue children's book. Even a blind man could understand what he was doing prior to her sudden irruption in the room. As soon as recognition dawned upon his eyes, they widened in shock and horror, causing him to let go of her arm. She herself lowered her fist immediately, ashamed about nearly punching her husband in the nose in her blind rage-panic.

Not that he would've been harmed, likely, but it was the gesture that counted.

"B-beruka ? What's going on ? Why did you…"

"Apologies, Corrin." Said the woman. "There might be some… sabotage going on, and I thought that the persons behind it intended to cause you two harm while I was away."

"Who ? What sabotage ? A-are you hurt ? I'm sorry, I caught you pretty harshly because, well, the door swung open and I saw a shape run towards Kana…"

"My arm is fine." She said, though she did feel some pain on the spot. Not that she minded it though, since it was done in confusion and Corrin's reaction was expected of a father. The blue-haired woman should perhaps drink a vulnerary before sleeping though.

If she ever finds sleep now that she knew that something was going on.

"UWAAAHHHHH !"

"Beruka, will you tell me what's going on ?!"

"Ha ! Lord Corrin !"

Miraculously enough, Felicia, Gunter and Kana both reacted at the same time, with the latter two reaching the room immediately as the baby started crying. Beruka frowned, unwilling to deal with all of this yet, but alas, aware that she did burst in the house late at night.

"G-gunter ? What are you doing here ?"

"Put those knives down, dear. I…"

The old man looked at the couple and the baby.

"… do not believe that they are in any danger yet."

"Gunter !" Said Corrin. "It's so nice to see you ! Erm… apologies for the chaos though, I'm going to talk with you… I mean, we're going to talk if…"

"I understand."

"I'm going to take care of this, Felicia. You can go back to sleep."

"It's fine, Milord." Said Felicia, yawning. "I don't think I can go back to sleep that easily anyhow."

Gunter and Felicia vacated the premises temporarily, and Beruka proceeded to pick up Kana, attempting to cradle her back to sleep. Luckily enough, seeing her two parents smiling down at her (as forced as the two smiles were) was enough to convince her to calm down a little. After a minute or two of rocking back and forth, the baby allowed herself to return to the domain of sleep, and the assassin laid her back into the crib.

"What did you learn at Krakenburg ?"

"They held the gathering of the diplomats and heads of states in secret, Sakura should not have been out in the streets or in your house." Said Beruka. "There is something wrong going on, Corrin."

"The… yeah, Izana's thing, heh ? Wait, was he…"

"Lady Camilla didn't seem surprised about that. Perhaps the average Nohrian find the presence of Lord Izana less egregious than a Hoshidian princess."

It was still odd, Beruka should've perhaps asked before running off. Then again, the Izumian leader had access to a unique type of magic. Perhaps he had a way to avoid detection, or went the common way to access the palace. She'd ponder about such latter.

"The royal's attempts to warn you couldn't reach you, apparently. Messengers and letters both went missing."

"That's creepy, is what why you believe that there's a sabotage of a sort ? From…"

The kind of individuals who could pull off such feats had to be sneaky and presumably had access to some magic to disguise themselves. While they could be Nohrian traitors (Iago himself had access to illusion magic), those people had been _taken care of_ by the siblings and Beruka herself on occasions, meaning that only a few could remain.

But ninjas, the famed shadow warriors of Hoshido and Mokushu, apparently could disguise themselves well, and were sneaky enough to intercept the letters or messengers before they could reach the house. To make a man vanish when he was such a short distance away from the castle was the kind of thing that only a shinobi could pull of.

Of course, if it were Hoshidian ninjas, then things were going to go badly for Hoshido : Interfering with royal letters and trying to mess with a prince was one thing, but outright attacking (presumably) a Nohrian messenger was much more sensible. The peace between the two countries was fragile after all, and it'd take a nudge to get it to fall down and shatter.

But why would they do this ? Mokushu and Hoshido had little to gain from direct conflict with Nohr.

"… I don't think Hoshido would do it. I mean… I know that I've done terrible things to them but Hinoka would never stoop to a level where she'd threaten my family in peacetime, right ?"

"I'm not saying that Queen Hinoka is implicated in this. We'll consult with the Rat Catchers tomorrow."

Rat Catchers referred to a specific group of the Nohrian mages, trained to smoke out ninja through the use of magic. Those mages would use specific tomes to detect the shinobis, and then smoke them out, forcing the ninjas into the open. They weren't officially referred as such, but the practice of calling them such caught on, to the point where even Iago and Garon were calling them that.

The reason why such a nickname was bestowed upon them was obvious enough, though it was discouraged in Nohr nowadays since the new status quo was "peace with Hoshido". Still, whenever two Nohrians spoke about them, they still used the old expression, out of habit and also because the sentiment towards Hoshido never really dropped even after the war. The average peasant did feel bad for his east counterpart, yes, but years of propaganda had its way in people's mind.

Furthermore, at the very least, Hoshido had done its fair share of bad things in the past. Things were not as simple as "one country bad, the other good".

"Yeah. I'm going to spend the night awake to avoid any potential interference, we can never be too sure."

"Wouldn't it harm you ?" She said.

"I ran through a continent in three days."

"Right."

Beruka looked around and leaned in against his chest slightly, putting her hands around his waist as well. He looked down in confusion as her, and looked at the door, blushing quickly at the idea of being noticed by Gunter or Felicia. Still, though, he wrapped his arms around her back as well and held her slightly.

"I'm glad that you're alright." She confessed.

"If the war has taught me anything, it's that I'm hard to kill." He joked back, before falling quiet.

They stood there, silent, for a little while. She wouldn't do it while other people were in the house, but in a way, it calmed her. Being so close to him, aware that both he and Kana were safe. It was a cheesy gesture, perhaps, but the new royal had little thoughts to give to such critics.

After a little while, they slowly let go and stared at one another. Then, Beruka headed for Kana and quietly picked her up, briefly wrapping her in a little blanket to keep her warm. Corrin tilted his head in confusion.

"Just in case." She said, and he understood.

…

Once again, Beruka and Corrin found themselves in that couch, though this time; Gunter was sitting in front of them, arms folded. The old man didn't change much ever since the end of the war, though perhaps his hair were slightly longer, and the grasp of time was just a bit tighter on him. Still, he looked pretty alert, and she perceived that time's effects on his body were of little use against his mind.

Well, they were of little use yet, she thought.

"I'm so glad about seeing you, Gunter ! There's… well, a lot of things have happened ever since the end of the war !"

"Hmm, I can see that." Said the old man, contemplating the house and the baby. "Felicia's tea is quite good now, if I may say."

Corrin smiled at that, and Beruka nodded quietly.

"I've heard that you chose to… temporarily depart Windmire for a year after the end of the conflict."

"Indeed, I know that it wasn't very brave of me to do so but…"

"You've suffered much." Said Gunter. "To be honest, your decision took me by surprise. For a moment or two, I feared that you came to associate the Nohrian court as a source of pain and turmoil for you, which would, to my regret, make sense concerning who used to be at the very top of it."

"Well… I was just a little struck by the war, that's all."

He grasped Beruka's hand, and she grasped it back, attempting to encourage him.

"I felt like I'd be a burden to them, and… yes, part of me was sick of the court. That's why I left. And why I, somewhat selfishly, took Beruka with me."

"This is when we had our child." Said Beruka. "And her arrival and some goading on my part convinced him to return to Windmire."

"Kana, was it ? Apologies, Corrin, I failed to arrive in time for that."

"Where do you live, sir Gunter ?"

"I've retreated to Notre Sagesse, a place that I happened to visit in my youth. However, it is quite isolated from Dreiz, and in my age, long trips are not easy to manage."

Corrin nodded, and winced, just a little.

"I decided to visit you because… there might not be too much time left, and I'd rather see how much you've grown rather than wither away and die on my island."

"Gunter !" Said Corrin. "You're about… 82 !" He said. "And you were still fighting some of Hoshido's fiercest soldiers barely a year and a half ago !"

"You overestimate me, Corrin." He declared. "But alas, swords and kunais can be dodged, but time is inevitable, and I wished to see if you were doing well."

The prince left it at that, but Beruka could see, the idea of having to bury his father figure one day was quite present in his mind, as if he wasn't already full of unfortunate issues.

"I see that she inherited a lot of you, Corrin… though I can see that her shade of blue is from her mother's."

"Sharp eyes, Gunter ! Yes, she has my ears and she's going to have my strength, probably."

He made a pinching gesture with his fingers.

"She's got quite a grip."

"Takes from her father."

Gunter's eyes widened a little, and Corrin briefly shot Beruka a surprised look.

"It was a joke."

"Ha, you've picked up on these since the end of the war."

"I've learnt a lot of new… things over the course of the year." Said Beruka, pointing at the Versanium in the corner, taller than ever. "Being a mother is only part of them. I've also read up on jokes."

"And what about your profession ?"

"I follow Corrin's rules."

"That is fine. You used to believe that I would disapprove of your wedding to Corrin because of that, I remember."

She tilted her head, not excepting him to pick up on that. After all, she had such thoughts during the war, where she was obviously better at concealing her emotions. It helped that she didn't have much interactions with the veteran, giving him limited time to glance at her and figure out her emotions.

"But… while I was a bit worried, I do not mind it that much. Above all, Corrin is an adult, and I trust that he can make the right decisions. Furthermore, you seems to have a good impact on him, and vice-versa."

Corrin nodded in approval.

"And beside, you are skillful at combat. I trust that a woman who would walk down Corrin's path would be able to defend herself from the danger that'd lie ahead, and your deeds in battle indicate that I was right."

Gunter smiled a little before continuing, his voice warm. "Still. I'm proud of you both for making a baby. You're a man now, Corrin, with a brand new home, a wife, a child to raise, and quite the deeds to your name. You've slain Garon and are truly out of his shadow, and I cannot congratulate you enough for that."

Some tears appeared on Corrin's eyes, and he got up to outright hug his old master. The old man accepted him, getting up and allowing his surrogate son to embrace him. The former wyvern rider smiled at that. Thinking that it was naught but a false alarm in the end, and that they would only need to take care of everything tomorrow.

What she did not realize, though, is that the night was not finished yet.

….

**A/N : **Something of a cliffhanger for you !

Short chapter, but I hope I've done well ! The ending is coming !

I've been thinking of something for my future Hoshidian fanfic. Corrin's name would be Kamui, and she'd be a girl. If you guys want dude Kamui, it's fine though.

I've got the other character to serve as the deuteragonist of the fic and I know what liiittlle element I'll give to Kamui to make her different from the Corrin here. She won't have all the trauma that Corrin had… but she's got one big reason to be sad ! You'll see !

However, the Hoshidian fic is definitely going to be lighter in tone compared to this one, probably because it won't be from the PoV of a former assassin !

Votes are still open though, and eventually, if I still have interest, I plan to do a prequel to this one. It's just that it'd come after the Hoshidian one.

Would you have any idea for a title ? Just asking for a friend.

See you later !


	28. OF ASSASSINS AND ANGRY PRINCES

**N/A : **Things MIGHT get graphic !

It was decided that Gunter would remain at home for the night. The veteran knight, as strong as he was, could not hope to start the return trip in the evening, and it'd be better for him to take the journey back home in the morning tomorrow, though Corrin was currently planning to try and get him to remain in Windmire for a day or two, since it'd be a waste to cross Nohr just for a talk. So far, though, the knight seemed ready to go back home, since he didn't trust his "young punk" neighbor to take proper care of his house in the absence of the great knight.

The rest of the night went pretty well. Luckily for the couple, Kana woke up only a few times, and her needs were done quickly. A small accident happened when Gunter attempted to hold the baby and she reacted by crying, perhaps shocked by his scar, but he didn't take it badly, and offered some advices to Corrin on fatherhood, telling him exactly what he'd need to do and how to ensure that Kana would grow up to uphold the true values of Nohr and faithfully serve the dusk country.

By Corrin's comments, Gunter had been a father himself, though apparently, he lost both son and wife to a troop of rampaging Faceless, who killed their sorcerer master and ran amok across Nohr. She never brought it up, to avoid harming the pace of the conversation, but she was definitely sure that Corrin served as a surrogate son of a sort to the old man, a "replacement" for his own flesh and blood lost to supernatural hands.

At the very least, in the Eternal Stairway, the elder knight seemed to actually take joy in slaughtering the soulless golems, whereas even Peri was concerned with making it to the end of the stairs.

Felicia, half asleep, went back to bad on Corrin's "order", and he took care of the teacups himself, temporarily leaving Beruka and Gunter alone, if only for a little while.

"So… I was patient about it, but allow me to inquire about the reason behind your panic at the gate, Beruka."

"Hm. During the meeting, the Hoshidian princess turned up, and left, apparently without causing a ruckus in the street. That, and the fact that letters meant to us were intercepted, along with a messenger apparently, left me suspicious. I went to visit Lady Camilla at the castle." She began. "And I learnt that apparently, Sakura did not leave the castle or, at the very least, it would've been easy to notice if it she did."

"You suspect Hoshido to be…"

"Plotting something ? That would be quite stupid, considering the state of their army. Perhaps this is an attempt by traitors, aiming to perturb the fragile peace for the sake of revenge, or simply a move by angered Hoshidians, who think little of anything beyond honor and revenge. Why, maybe even Mokushujins."

"And I guess that you thought that they would attempt to mount an assassination attempt on Corrin in your absence ?"

"Indeed."

"Well, I am lucky that you bothered to stop." He said. "Had I been a bit too slow in turning around, you would've probably killed me outright."

"I would've perhaps non-lethally incapacitated you before proceeding to access the manor."

"Perhaps ?" He said, raising an eyebrow, as if realizing that there was a chance that Beruka would've been a bit more lethal.

"Unfortunately, emotions cloud my judgment a little. My departure for Krakenburg, for instance, was not the wisest move. Emotions are useful, and I enjoy having a firmer grasp on them… but they can led to rash decisions."

"My, my, it seems that Corrin has influenced you in quite a lot of ways."

Gunter chuckled a little.

"Still, given your panic, I'm surprised that you even bothered to hold the gate open."

"I was suspecting you, but you seem to have knowledge of Corrin that only you two, and perhaps the maids and butler, would be aware of."

"I see… if I may ask, how is the Nohrian court ever since Garon's downfall ? I am aware that it must be in a much better shape, but forgive my curiosity."

"I do not spend too much time in the court. I am often… elsewhere, Corrin would be a better choice for such a question. But if you wish to learn even a little, then… at the very least, Krakenburg's questionable esthetic has been removed nearly entirely, and there have been efforts to discipline Nohrians such as Peri."

"The Neermeizer heir ? How ?"

"By using an hospice specifically for the mentally ill, apparently. The king's intention is to show that even the worst are merely victims of a system that breed psychopathy, and wish to show that they can be cured."

"I was always confused about her presence in the army, or even near the prince."

"So am I. But she appears to be doing better as of now. Not that this particularly encourages me to interact with her."

"That is fair. You may forgive, but you may not forget."

Corrin came back quickly, clapping his hands a little.

"Now that's that ! The teacups are done !"

"How triumphant." Said Gunter. "I would like to discuss this further with you, but alas, Orfus call to me. I shall go to the guest room now."

"Sleep well, Gunter !"

"I will. I'll try not to die in my sleep."

He smiled slightly at his dark joke, and left the room. Corrin and Beruka followed suit not long after, or at least, Beruka went to bed : The prince grabbed a book, sat down in the stairs, and began to await.

…

"Hahahahahaahahahhahaahhahaha…. Foolish little princeling ! Now that the stones have been assembled, the dark god will be resurrected ! And to celebrate his return, I offer him a sumptuous meal : A grand bunch of deluded warriors from all over the world ! Such a feast will be most enjoyable !"

"No !" Answered the princeling, a youth in armor, with spiky, gravity-defying red hair and a large magic sword. "Those stones are false, Umbrum !"

"Impossible !" said Umbrum, turning towards the altar next to him and rushing forth to grab one stone, ripping it out of the altar with his bare hand and verifying it.

"Muhahahahahaha… a clever ploy, but-"

"YAH !"

In one second, the prince and his female childhood friend were on the dark wizard cultist, leaping and attacking him with a double dropkick. Umbrum was hit so hard, he was actually propelled through the stone table, breaking it and scattering the stones across the room.

"Good initiative !" Said the heroic Ziagel.

"Agreed ! The dark god Muynr is stopped ! Now let's marry !"

"Alright !"

And they kissed atop Umbrum's unconscious body. And, upon turning the next page, Corrin could see only a big **FIN **written across it, causing him to sigh and put the book away for now, stopping to briefly look around him.

Corrin's senses were superior to most, to the point where he was pretty much confident in his ability to detect someone before they could enter his home. After all, as sneaky as those ninjas could be, he doubted that they possessed the ability to casually avoid his senses altogether. After all, he trained to see them coming during the war, and out of paranoia, never really let up on training that aspect of his powers.

He could hear the rustling of the grass, affected by the wind, the light snores of Kana, the slight whining sound down… ha !

Corrin instantly got up and kept listening. Yes, a window was currently being opened downstairs, and while the young man was suspicious, he didn't want to cause a ruckus over such a small thing… still, he was quite unwilling to be sloppy in a time of potential crisis. Thus, he prudently went to Beruka's room and knelt next to her, attempting to tap her a little.

He wasn't surprised when she "awoke" immediately, smiling in answer.

"I'm hearing some noises downstairs. I'll be investigating. Stay there for the baby, alright ?"

She nodded quietly, and Corrin left her behind for now, though he looked a little at his baby before moving on to Gunter's room. Like Beruka before him, the knight was only half-asleep, quietly gazing at his surrogate son, who pointed downstairs. The knight nodded but stood in his spot as well : Corrin could see that there was a book on the little table next to the bed, and no weapons, which was rather worrying.

After all, Gunter was old. And while he handled himself well in battle, he retired for a while after the war. Could he keep up against potential assassins ?

Corrin went to visit Felicia, only leaning against the doorway and she, too, nodded briefly. Then, the prince went down the stairs slowly, not hearing anything beside the window opening slightly.

It was one of the windows in the kitchen, and Corrin's senses allowed him to detect that no others had been opened yet, giving him confidence that he wasted everyone's time by reporting a mere wind gust. A bit discouraged, he went over to the window to close it… and barely dodged the blade of the Wrymslayer that leapt out of the darkness, nearly piercing him. While ordinary weapons were not that dangerous to him, those dragon-slaying weapons could cut and pierce him, even in his mighty dragon form ! Had it not been for his quick reflexes…

Slowly, out of the darkness, a man in Hoshidian ninja armor emerged, blade raised, with a dull white mask on his face. Beside two holes for the eyes, it was entirely featureless, akin to a disc of a sort.

"Prince Corrin… you-"

Corrin leapt forward, drawing his fist, and smashed the ninja in the face, hurling him back and shattering both mask and nose alike. He would've bothered to listen to the man in better circumstances, but he was quite-

A sharp pain erupted in his side, and the prince instinctively swiped backward, hurling an assassin through the kitchen, the entrance hallway, the living room, part of the garden, and into the grey wall outside. Then, the prince knelt, holding unto his ribs. _Something_ managed to perforate his tough body, and evade his superior senses. Luckily for him, though, the spot where he was stabbed was not the one where Takumi has scarred him, offering a small respite.

Near the shattered window laid a small dagger, akin to a downsized wrynslayer. Corrin winced when he saw another ninja step through to pick it up, and then felt arms wrap around his neck, courtesy of yet another ninja. Several more of them leapt through the windows, shattering them and seemingly foregoing stealth. One ninja in particular stood out, being taller than the others, and having a mask with three red marks over it, similar to claw marks.

Before the prince could even attempt to address them, he found himself besieged, for several more wrymslayers were pointed at him.

"Kill him." Said the main ninja, before going upstairs, to Corrin's horror ! He was so horrified, in fact, that he didn't even notice the swords being swung at him…

…

Beruka was on her feet and aware as soon as the windows broke, and had a grip on the weapon that she hid underneath her pillow before the first ninjas were even in the room.

One of them entered, katana in hand, and had his life swiftly ended when Beruka managed to toss the small scimitar at his chest. Then, she promptly leapt forward, grabbed the scimitar, and pulled it out while kicking the corpse at the door, swiftly ripping the katana out of its dead hands in the process. The scimitar promptly saw use again when she had to slash at the face of another shinobi, who dodged the corpse but was unable to correct his course.

The katana, meanwhile, was swung at the renegade who went to the left, slashing him diagonally from the forehead to his side and promptly killing him. Unlike the scimitar, left buried in the skull of the ninja who went to the right, she kept the Katana in hand as she dove for Kana, picking her up with one arm and pulling her out just before several shurikens managed to pierce the cradle. The projectiles were thrown by a ninja who chose to hide in a corner of the room, unaware of the particularly painful death that she was going to bestow upon him.

She nearly dove into the bathroom and closed the door, as the swarm pushed past the body of the first victim. It was a bit more durable than a regular door, but it wasn't going to withstand an assault such as this, seemingly dooming both mother and daughter.

Where was Corrin ? What had they done to him ? So many question to be pushed aside by Beruka, who held up her katana and laid Kana on a blanket at the corner of the room, turning around to face the door.

Perhaps she was going to die… but beforehand, Beruka was going to slaughter absolutely every last one of those ninjas, no matter what, to ensure that her daughter would walk away from this alive.

…

Only two ninjas were sent to kill Gunter. After all, the aging great knight was a minor target compared to two royals and their baby.

The first minion was kill-happy, leaping towards Gunter, sword drawn, with the intention to land on top of the old man, plunging the katana through his body and shattering his weak bones in one fell swoop. But alas, he missed the veteran, who dodged to the side at the last second, grabbing his book and allowing his bed to take the blow for him.

Then, with all the might available to his body, and the strength of a man determined not to let another family die, Gunter grabbed his book and slammed it on the ninja's skull, a sickening crack echoing as the "Hoshidian" fell forward, blood oozing out of his head. The veteran was then struck in the ribs by a blade, and while such a paltry wound would've only fueled his fighting instincts back in his youth, it was enough to nearly paralyze him.

He looked at the second assassin, and, seemingly, the one to have the honor of ending his long life, with her black blade in hands.

"Die. Nohrian do-"

Gunter lunged forward, temporarily ignoring the pain, and buried his finger in the ninja's eyes, through the eyes holes. Howling in agony, the assassin drew back, allowing the Old Knight to tap into his newfound strength to deliver a vicious hook, shattering part of the mask along with, seemingly, her jaw. The woman fell back, defeated as well, but the knight fell to one knee.

Perhaps he could quip about his age, or perhaps he could focus on that important bit of information that the woman delivered to him by accident.

Her accent belonged to the people of _Mokushu_.

"Shameful."

Looking upward, Gunter could see a figure standing at the doorway. He could also see a row of what seemed to be more enemies behind him, though they were clad in Hoshido's armor.

"Felled by an old geezer… how pathetic of these two."

"…"

The tall man advanced forward, holding some shurikens. His mask made it impossible to visualize whatever he was feeling, but his tone of voice made his enjoyment of the situation very clear.

Gunter's attention was drawn to the weapon : His death was not going to be a quick one with these.

"But alas, I'll be the one to end Nohr's veteran knight !"

"Great honor for a rat, indeed." Smirked Gunter, already getting up. "I was hoping to die at the end of a great warrior, not a gutless coward hailing from a _Hoshidian colony_."

The man grasped his weapons tightly, and the old man accepted the fate that was going to befall him, standing up tall, eager to die as a true Nohrian would : Spitting in the face of an overwhelming odd.

…

Felicia went to work as soon as the two ninjas managed to enter her room, in a manner akin to Beruka. Her knives flew out from her hands, impacting one mook in the chest several times over. His companion was hit as well, and the frost was visibly affecting him, but he still leapt over to try to wrestle with the maid before she could get another knife, confident that his greater bulk would enable him to overpower her.

She caught his fists, but alas, he was right in his assessment, quickly overpowering her in the little wrestling contest. What he didn't except, of course, was that Felicia would have more tricks beside strength and knives.

Inspiring a little, the Ice Tribe native quickly exhaled a wave of frost at the ninja, freezing his mask and part of his face and eyes, going by his sudden cry of pain. This allowed her to push him back and quickly take the upper hand in the brawl once more, with the maid eventually opting to push him back. He attempted to grab at her, blindly, but she simply leapt backward, grabbed some knives, and hurled them at him, ending his life as well.

"L-Lord Corrin ! Lady Beruka ! I'm coming !"

…

Corrin never quite felt fear like this before. Or rather, he never felt it to such a level.

His wife, his baby, his surrogate father and a dear friend were in danger, and here he was, watching almost in slow motion as the blades were heading for his neck, shocked, surprised and, above all, angered.

Was it Hoshido's doing ? Was it Hinoka ? Why would they come at him like this and attack his own family as well ?

He would've pondered on this perhaps, but for once, for only once, he allowed anger to take over his body.

The prince deftly leap back, lifting the soldier with him as he dodged the Wrymslayers and their blades and leaping into a wall, smashing the ninja's back into it and causing him to slip and let go. The other soldiers of the shadow, in panic, raised their weapons, but he refused to even allow himself to be slowed down by these.

In a second, he's in front of the closest soldier, whom he simply hit with a hook to the face. The other soldier is struck in the ribs and sent flying through a wall outright. The third one get a boot to the face and is stomped flat, soon joined by two of his fellows, each of whom receive a nasty grab to the face before being slammed into the ground with great force.

Then, the first soldier finally falls to the ground, leaving the eight and last one. Corrin doesn't bother with him, simply lightly tapping him in the back to hurl him away through the window and moving upstairs.

When he arrives, Corrin stop, and notices that there's about 12 more soldiers upstairs, in front of the bedroom where Beruka and Kana were located. The taller individual, clad in a mask, briefly turn around, though he's quick to fully face Corrin when he notice the prince. Behind him, the prince can hear Kana's cries, as several of his ninjas seems prepared to bust the door.

Another one stand at the guest room's entrance, shurikens in hand, and Corrin's eyes grow wider even.

"Lord Corrin…"

The taller figure raises one fist, revealing that his uniform is special, bearing the familiar knives of a Master Ninja.

"We-"

The Master Ninja had about 11 of his disciples standing between him and a husband with a family in danger. He was probably trained from birth to be able to intercept and react to the quickest events, and it's likely that all of his soldiers boasted similar, if lesser, skills. He had a whole speech ready, had gathered several weapons to exploit the prince's vulnerability, and probably noticed that his enemy was wounded, and thus weakened.

None of it saved him.

Before he could even _add_ another word, before he could even pronounce a single more syllable, before he could even react, a blur tackled his soldiers, sending each of them flying before they themselves could react. In the literal blink of an eye, in a moment that couldn't be possibly withstood by anyone even, all of his protections had been blown open by something akin to a natural disaster, a projectile of such potency that grown adults in armor were similar to defenseless insects in its wake.

Luckily enough, the Master Ninja could not see his plan instantly collapse under his very eyes, for he was on the ground, with an angry fist lodged straight in his face, utterly shattering the mask that he was wearing and making it impossible to see what laid beside it. The impact of the attack was such that the ground couldn't even withstand it, with the antagonist being propelled through the wooden floor, in the kitchen, creating a small crater around his body as it impacted the ground.

Needless to say, he was utterly defeated. Beaten beyond any measure. Damaged to a point where he probably didn't even feel pain. One could even say that it came with such speed that he wasn't even aware that he was dead.

"You !"

The ninjas turned towards Corrin, and actually jumped back when they noticed him, the prince having jumped before the floor even opened below him.

"YOU ! You dare touch my family ?!"

Before they could answer, a blade leapt out of nowhere, impaling one soldier in the head. The other ninjas drew back in fright as Beruka proceeded to burst out of the weakened door. Aware that her husband had arrived, she took the offensive, slashing once and killing the remaining gathered ninjas with one clean diagonal slice.

Some shurikens flew at her, but alas, she easily deflected them, and Corrin leapt on the ninja who attempted to attack her, breaking his remaining tools and effortlessly knocking him out with only one punch.

"Beruka ! Are you okay ?" He said, as the woman proceeded to make a run for Kana, wary of a ninja sneaking by. As soon as she reached the baby, she promptly held the crying infant, her face calm once she realized that Kana was safe, though her eyes widened a little when she saw his wound, causing her to look up at him.

"It's fine." Says Corrin. "Wrymslayer."

"How could they have these ?"

"We'll have to see. They… they've got Hoshidian armor, maybe…"

"Oh, they've got Hoshidian armors, and Mokushijin accents."

Gunter and Felicia entered the room, with the maid holding a heal staff. Corrin looked worried when he saw his father figure with blood on his shirt, but was quickly reassured when he saw the staff. The old man, meanwhile, was casually dragging a defeated ninja by the collar.

"Nevermind that rat. Your foe-tossing charge made quick work of him, along with a little help."

He nodded at Felicia.

"They may have Hoshidian armor, but they have a Mokushujin accent. At least, this one has. All the assassins seems to have been killed, apart from the ones in the room and, perhaps, some that you took care of, but be it Mokushu or Hoshido, this is a _major_ accident."

"H-here, Lord Corrin."

Felicia used Heal, and Corrin thanked her, his wound promptly vanishing. Beruka, meanwhile, quietly handed the baby over to him, and started heading out, picking up the unconscious, shuriken-throwing assassin and lifting him on her shoulder.

"… Where are you going ?"

"I'm going to drop them off at Krakenburg, and see how the queen will react to that."

"There might be more of these remaining. Allow us to escort you."

"Very well."

…

One surviving ninja, the one merely tapped by Corrin, was crawling out in the garden of the residence, attempting to get away from the place.

It didn't matter that he was obviously going to be caught by Nohrian guards or even random bystanders. _Anything_ currently in Nohr would probably offer him a more pleasant fate than whatever the dragon prince had in mind, after all.

Eventually, he reached the gate and, smiling, attempted to prepare his lockpick, eager to depart before the crazy Nohrians could reach him.

"Hm… what do we have here ?"

The gate opened, and the Mokushujin raised his arms, almost eager to be taken away, even painfully, from the manor.

"A would-be assassin ? Escaping Corrin's home ?"

Peri looked down at the man. While she was accompanied by a few guards and some bystanders with weapons, the ninja couldn't help but be worried by her unusual trembling smile, akin to a child attempting to hide her excitement.

"Well… you're definitely _not_ a lucky one."

….

**A/N : **Battle chapter ! I know that I said that this is fluff, but I wanted to show some blood, dammit ! And beside, those soldiers are far easier to handle than Anankos and his gallery of goons.

What is happening ? Will the relations between the two nations worsen further ? Find out in the next chapter !

We're close to the end, boys ! Just one more chapter and an epilogue ! I'm quite excited and yet sad at the same time, but I hope that you'll enjoy it !

See you next time !


	29. Of queens and diplomats

"No no, milord ! I swear. We weren't aware of it !"

Leo observed the Mokushujin diplomat calmly, not reacting as he started to flail his hands around in a desperate attempt to convince the prince. Both young men were in a small white room, observing each other from across a white table, with a magic wall of a sort between them. Leo had no fear about confronting the diplomat himself, but alas, it was deemed wise to put forth some protection between the ninja and the prince, especially after the recent attack on Corrin.

"You've repeated that enough. What happened ?"

"The… well, we've got our own criminals. Kotaro was keeping them on… a leash, and…"

The diplomat realized what he was implying, and shook his head.

"Not that I'm blaming you ! A-anyway, amongst them was the Prajna group, they… they're crazy !"

"Were crazy." Corrected Leo.

"R-right, good riddance, hm ? B-but anyway. We, of Mokushu, are innocent. They… these guys, they…"

"Calm down. We heard of the Prajna group. Just tell us more."

"They… they prepared for this, you know ? These guys are… were just crazy murderers but they watched us. I… I don't know if they were already there from the beginning or if they intercepted a message but they knew ! And, well…"

"Why would they dress in Hoshidian armor ?"

"Well, they… wanted to trigger another war, have Hoshidian ninjas murder a Nohrian prince and his family. The leader, Hokuto, he… he's crazy. Blame Kotaro's death on the prince, so he… decided to target him specially."

He drank some water, and Leo nodded, wondering on what exactly to do. In the next room, several Nohrian mages were recording the diplomat's words, along with a few stressed-out soldiers from Mokushu.

The people of the former colony feared Nohrian retribution, of course, but above all, they feared the idea that the dragon prince would turn his eyes towards the nation and level it to the ground single-handedly, or at least, burn its villages and slaughter its leaders. The idea that they'd attract negative attention at such time was also another source of worry, since it could lead to an alliance of a sort between the gathered nations to punish them.

"Are they behind the appearance of the Hoshidan princess at the prince's manor ?"

"Yes, they… they can disguise themselves quite well. I… I think that they planned to lower his guard to ambush him, but when they saw the people gathered here, they chose to back off and wait."

"Hm, what about the Izumian leader's appearance ?"

"That's not on them. He… does his thing, as a-all Izumians are bound to do, right ?"

Leo didn't smile.

"Please, Lord Leo, have mercy upon me and my people ! We… we're already in an unstable situation, our children and civilians need not to suffer because of the madness of a few !"

"Calm down. We're not going to march to war for that." Said the Prince. "Things are different now, Nohr is not the enemy of Dreiz, and we will not march into your home in retribution. The Prajna group's errors will not doom your nation. Be sure of that… however, over the course of the following meetings, we may need some _favors_ out of Mokushu later on. See no threats in such words, though. However, the hatchet will be buried faster if you agree to help us."

"That is fair, milord ! We will help you in interrogating the traitors and agree to whatever you demand, as long as they're not too… self destructive."

"That is fair."

…

Krakenburg's castles were even busier than usual, with diplomats and soldiers running down the halls as fast as they could, sometimes nearly bumping into one other before running off at lightning speed.

The only ones who were currently sitting still were Corrin and Beruka, each quiet. However, while Corrin was merely a bit tense, observing the back-and-forth and glancing at each approaching bystander suspiciously, Beruka had a murderous look in her unblinking, fixated eyes, observing everyone in the room as if she hungered for their blood. Huge men, clad in colossal armor, found themselves desperately attempting to avoid her, pushing their way into the crowd to attempt to get away from her.

It spoke volume of how intimidating she was, since she had the handicap of having a swaddled Kana on her lap, arms wrapped around the baby's body, taking the time to glare especially hard at the people who attempted to even glance at Kana, causing them to back off in fright.

When Leo finally came out of the room, smiling a little, her face did not change, though at the very least, Corrin reacted, looking up to him with a smile.

"Leo ! How did things go ?"

"They went well. How are you, Corrin ? You and Beruka look… most affected."

"Hrm. Having armed assassins burst into your house can spoil one's mood. Surprising."

"Right… well, the Mokushuijin diplomat is adamant that this was an extremist group of a sort. I'll tell you more on the way, follow me."

The crowd opened for the princes and princesses, and they both started to follow Leo, who quickly led them into another room. Beruka tensed slightly, and Corrin, while showing no objection, stepped in front of wife and daughter, observing every corner of Leo's office as if a ninja was somehow hidden.

It was a nice room, though. A massive window led to Krakenburg's castle, and the place was full of books and tomes, though they were locked to avoid any accident at the end of a traitorous or overeager mage. Leo had a bust of himself in a corner, along with a great painting, depicting him in a ceremonial armor, with a dark blade and Brynhildr in hand, staring down at the painter with quiet contempt.

"Don't worry. I'm not some illusion or disguise."

"Well, forgive me for being a bit paranoid, my prince. My family was assaulted by ninjas." He said, as Beruka closed the door. "I'm going to be a little paranoid about things from now on now."

"That make sense, but trust me. We've got the ra… the special units to help smoke out whatever assassin may remain."

"You're going to interrogate them, correct ?"

They all sat down, and Kana observed a small feather on Leo's desk with curiosity, though she was too far away to grab it. Beruka quietly offered her hand to her daughter, with the new dragon's attention soon turning towards it, managing to actually get her hands out of the fabric to grab at her mother's fingers.

"Yes. Though we will try to avoid any solitary interrogation from a Mokushujin soldier. They might, perhaps, try to feed them one of their infamous… suicide pill."

"As expected of an assassin… how much do you suspect them ?"

"It would be expected of the Mokushujin government to attempt a smear operation on Hoshido. They have a thorough hatred for them after all, and these soldiers were obviously well equipped."

"But at the same time, doing so _now_, when all the nations are gathered, is particularly bad timing, isn't it ?"

"Yes. And furthermore, Hokuto, the leader that you slew in one hit, did flee the country after Kotaro's demise, and had no ties to the new government. An with about two years of preparation and his skills, it would've been easy to acquire the Wrymslayers, rare as they are."

"What about them, by the way ?"

"We seized them, worry not." He said.

"Still. Prince Leo, I am rather disappointed in the measures that were taken to ensure our safety." She said. "My sudden departure should've led to an investigation."

Corrin stared at her, but seemingly couldn't find a way to really fault her. The prince stared back, neither angered nor affected.

"We did verify your surroundings, but it seems that the ninjas sneaked past. I apologize for it… by the time the invasion become apparent, it was all over within a small timespan."

It felt like an eternity to Corrin, who had to see assassins crawling through his house to try and kill his infant, wife and friends, but he didn't answer back, not feeling too combative.

"You might need a better apology." Explained Beruka. "My husband was stabbed by a wrymslayer and assassins attempted to kill Kana, Gunter, Felicia and I. The house is ruined, as well."

"You'll stay at Krakenburg until the repairs are done then… unless you desire to be brought somewhere else, perhaps."

"What about the presence of Hoshidian diplomats ?" She asked, curious.

"That's fine. Krakenburg is a safe place to be at. And… well, I was attacked at my own home, so there's a reason for me to be here. I trust that the Hoshidian diplomats will understand the situation."

"They better." Said Beruka, and Corrin didn't even bother to correct her.

"I've made the preparations. Allow me to apologize, on behalf of Nohr, for failing to protect you."

"That's fine, Leo. You've done a lot to help in the past, and you were all distracted, I've got no grudge against you." He said.

Leo smiled slightly.

"Xander should be seeing you soon. Allow me to escort you to your room."

"That won't be necessary… have you arranged for Gunter's departure ? And where will Felicia be staying then ?"

"The arrangements have been made, and he'll leave early in the day. He should reach a Warp point to Port Dia quickly."

"Alright… I should probably see him beforehand. Thanks."

"As for Felicia, there are rooms for her as well."

"I see… well, thank you Leo." Said Corrin. "Good luck for the diplomatic talks."

"I'll need more than that… oh, and… the queen of Hoshido is present in the halls. I know that you're confident about the diplomats, but…"

Corrin did seems to hesitate a little, but ultimately, he opted to smile.

"I'll be fine. Beruka, if you please…"

The assassin nodded and got up, handing the baby over to Corrin. The father looked confused, but less so when Beruka chose to bow a little in front of the prince, in a gesture akin to reverence.

"May fortune reach you, prince. I apologize for my words."

"That's… fine. I'm not one to get angry over such things." He said. "You're of high rank and you were under very distressing conditions not so long ago after all."

The princess nodded, and they departed the room together.

…

Beruka was under high stress, if only because she kept seeing Wyrmslayers in the crowd, the blade appearing or vanishing in the blink of an eye. Naught but the product of a stressed mind, but then again, who could blame her ? Her house has been besieged by assassins who wounded her husband and attempted to kill her baby, the fact that she could still keep her cool was miraculous in itself.

"Make place for the Hoshidian royals !" Warned a voice at the end of the halls, at a path that they were supposed to take. To her surprise, while Corrin did stop, he did not attempt to immediately hide somewhere or leave the room in a hurry, opting to merely stand to the side. His presence was the only thing currently keeping the infant from crying, with the young daughter of the dragon gazing at the room in irritation at the noises caused by the crowd.

Kana did look a little like her when she was like that, hm.

Queen Hinoka entered the room, as solemn as ever. The pegasus rider was wearing a _very_ elaborate red and white kimono of a sort, enveloping her deceptively muscular body completely and leaving only her head visible. The princess allowed her hair to grow just a bit longer, though it was still somewhat short. Her eyes were still devoid of that combative fire that she lost during the war, looking down at the ground in a solemn manner.

Her kimono was outfitted with a sheath for Raijinto, and she had Fujin Yumi tied to her back via a rope. That, on top of the ceremonial spear in her hands, gave her something of an intimidating aura, especially when compared to her little sister.

The ninjas were on point when they imitated her, to the point where Beruka wondered if there wasn't an impersonator heading to Hoshido to try and cause some troubles. She had the same dull eyes, and, if anything, looked a bit sadder.

Corrin stood to the side but one of Sakura's retainers, the Samurai, noticed Corrin, causing her eyes to widen in something akin to anger.

"You !"

The march stopped temporarily and dozen of eyes laid on Corrin, the queen's, especially.

And, for only a moment, a very brief moment, a fire of a sort appeared back within her eyes. Her lips moved… but nothing came out of it : After the initial surprise, Hinoka's eyes lost their fire once more, turning away from Corrin. And she simply began to walk once more. The Hoshidian followed suit, and Corrin simply stared at them as he went. The princess didn't even bother to look at him, almost clinging to her older sister.

When Beruka looked at Corrin, he was understandably saddened, but at the same time, he held on, looking down at both her and Kana and nodding.

Perhaps things weren't going to fix themselves. Perhaps he'd never truly be forgiven by his sisters and Hoshido… but at the very least, he had Beruka, Kana, his adopted siblings and his friends. His mistakes would always be with them, but at the same time, he was ready to accept them and, as proved by his decision to directly stare at Hinoka, even face them.

Still, it was not an easy choice, as evidenced by the way his shoulders slumped, but Beruka was there for him, wrapping an arm around his waist and waiting for them to reach their room –the old one, ironically- to speak up.

"You did well, Corrin."

"Did I ?" he said, sitting down and rocking Kana, who was much calmer now that the couple were in their room.

"You would not have withstood the shock of being in the same room as your sisters."

"Heh… maybe I just had to toughen up because of the circumstances ?" He said.

"No. It's all on you." Declared Beruka.

"Well, it's only because you pushed me into it." Said Corrin. "If it weren't for you, I would still be on that farm."

They both took the time to observe Kana, who was attempting to grab her father's hair. He allowed her to perform such a feat, though he winced a little.

"I hope that she'll never have to face such an experience again. Those people… the prajna group…"

"Died too quickly ?"

"… Yeah." He had to admit. "I felt like… back in the castle, when I was fighting Hans and Iago."

"That is understandable." She said. "But they're gone now."

"So… what are we going to do ?"

"Probably calm our…"

"Our". Hm. She would've said "your" not that long ago now.

"Friends."

"Hehe, you hesitated a little, haven't you ? It's okay. They're your friends as well, Beruka. Do not be ashamed by that now."

"That is… correct." She said. "We'll warn our friends, and perhaps see if we can't repair the house."

"Are you going to go back to taking contracts ?"

"… Perhaps not." She said. "I might… take a temporary leave again, and rejoin the Nohrian army once again. It seems that the recruits need to work on their detection skills, after all, and it will be up to me to pick up the slack."

"How long of an absence ?" He asked, a bit nervous.

"… 80 years."

He laughed a little at that, and so did she, if only for a brief moment.

"I guess I'll go back to helping with the diplomacy. We'll still need to take care of Kana but I could work in the castle."

"Good idea. Perhaps so will I."

In some way, perhaps, the vision of a group of assassins bursting down the windows and threatening her child awoke something in Beruka, as if she finally realized what it _felt_ like. Would she escape such a big part of her life ? Would her new career finally pull her out of these dredges ?

She didn't know. But then again, she oddly enjoyed those clashing emotions and doubt. They were part of her new life, after all, with her family and… friends. Yes, friends.

At last, it seemed that her peacetime confusion was at an end.

….

**A/N : **It's always a bit weird to provide a proper end, though it's merely the second to last chapter ! The actual ending will be a book-end of a sort, since I enjoy those !

Next chapter is the ending, featuring a grown up Kana, a little recap of where the protagonists stand and some better closing words, I hope, haha !

It was an amazing experience to write those chapters and share my stories with you ! We've got one chapter left but I want to thank every last one of my readers !

The ride's about to come to an end, but still, do not hesitate to drop critics or reviews ! Why, now is better than any other time. It's wise to know where I should improve for my next fic ! Where I was good, where I was bad, where I was kind of middle-of-the-road, it's pretty important for a writer !

Well, enough of my review fishing ! See you tomorrow for the epilogue !


	30. PEACETIME CONFUSION

The sun was back in Nohr, and the land's grimness has started to fade a little. It'll still take the land a long time before it can truly return to its former glory, only described in books, but it made it much easier for the flowers to grow.

They were still bizarre in shape, the result of needing a lot of time to adapt to such shapes, but they were much more numerous, and didn't need to fight to survive anymore.

Not everything was perfect, but things were looking up, and not only for the vegetation.

…

Ebony blades clashed against one another at high speed, wielding by figures clad in dark armor, faces hidden away beneath large helmets of a sort.

The taller figure seemed to hold the upper hand, easily deflecting away whatever offense the first one brought to the fight. Stabs and slashes were parried away effortlessly, with the smaller person struggling to correct her stance with each attack, grunting in frustration. Eventually, she attempted to go for a mighty slash, putting admittedly impressive strength behind her attack… and her blow was answered in kind, equally monstrous strength parrying the slash, overwhelming it even and pushing the offending combatant backward.

What's more, the figure's arm swing was casual, as if they barely needed to try to put forth such raw power. The sight of such an effortless display of power caused the knight to attempt a retreat, exploiting her enemy's pure defensive tactic to try to establish distance between them.

However, as soon as she began to leap back, the knight found herself under pressure, as the other figure began a sudden attack, instantly switching from pure defense to offense. She barely brought her sword to try to block an upward slash, but alas, she was struck with enough force to cause her arms to shoot up, with the sword violently flying out of her hands to land away from the fight, landing on its pommel and leaving the knight vulnerable.

The victorious figure grabbed the other by the collar and made a stabbing gesture at her throat… before drawing her sword back and merely letting her go, twirling her own ebony sword a little before sheathing it.

"Lesson's over."

"Not fair !" Said the other figure, getting her sword back. "You keep using your super… things while fighting !"

The woman took her helmet off and wiped the sweat away from her forehead. She had Silas's face, but her hair was blonde, and she had her mother's wide blue eyes, and her facial expression as well. She was fairly tall for a 17 years old, though she still only barely came up to her opponent's chest.

Said opponent bothered to take her helmet off as well, not answering her at first.

"Battles aren't fair. If you have an advantage, you use it. That's simple."

The woman beneath the helmet was young, and certainly beautiful, though she certainly had what it to take to fend off potential suitors, with harsh red eyes and a cold facial expression, capable of stopping a Stoneborn dead in its track by sheer intensity. Her pale blue hair was long but was held in a knot, allowing her to shove it in the helmet without any risks.

The way the knot was immediately undone afterwards was proof that the training had stopped though, with the woman bothering to try to style it after she took off the white pin holding it back. Her hair, while long enough to reach about the middle of her back, was styled asymmetrically, with one side parted to the right, though it was a bit messier than usual.

Unlike the teenager, she had no sign of exhaustion. No sweat, no rapid breathing. If anything though, this caused Sophie to look even more upset.

"It's just a training though. It's not a battle ! You should hold back a little ?"

"I was." Said Kana, as she began to exit the training grounds. Sophie promptly decided to follow he, holding unto her helmet. She looked up at the young woman's confident stride and, awkwardly, attempted to imitate her, earning a chuckle out of the daughter of the dragon, though she attempted to regain her poker face.

"But how good am I ?"

"You're better than the average soldier here." Said Kana. "But you get surprised or confused too much. You get irritated or upset too easily and that's not a good trait to have in battle."

"Well, it's a bit upsetting to just get easily countered, you know ?"

"Easily countered by _me._" Answered Kana, smiling a little. "You shouldn't be ashamed."

Sophie sighed. "I guess I can't make up for those superpowers… so ! Where are you going next ?"

"To my parent's house."

"Oh ! Can I come ? Mom and Dad will be there as well !"

"Certainly. I'll get Francine, you'll get Avel, and the first one…"

"Avel ?" asked Sophie, giggling a little, embarrassed. Kana stared down at her, putting her hands on her hips and sighing.

"He ran off ?"

"Y-yeah, well, I did try to catch him… and I did ! But he ran all the way from home to Krakenburg, so I… didn't need to ride him anymore, see ? Socanirideonfrancinewithyou ?"

Kana sighed and prepared to tell her to head off on her own… but eventually, she relented, feeling sympathetic for the young woman's plight. A small smile, similar to her father, appeared on her face.

"Well, you'll be owing me a favor then." She said. "And that favor will be… taming Avel before our next meeting !"

"Aw come on now ! Taming that demon horse would be impossible even for you or Corrin ! But I'll try. I mean… maybe I could ask dad."

Kana nodded, and tied her hair once more as she reached the wyvern-docks, heading for her special wyvern. A "gift" from her aunt, Camilla, for her 13th birthday, a sturdy, long-lived animal to stay with the princess for the rest of her life. Indeed, it was loyal, to the point where the daughter of the dragon had a special "parking" spot just because her wyvern would just sit there and take space away from other riders.

Putting on their helmets, the two women got past the metal (and pretty much cosmetic) railing, with Kana's presence putting Francine at ease. Still, the woman kept close to Sophie, and only allowed her to get on second, aware that the wyvern would just know, somehow, that she was probably being ridden by someone who wasn't her true master.

After getting on, Kana gave the order, and Francine took off, flying up and easily departing from Krakenburg with Sophie.

…

The princess looked down at Windmire from above, though she kept a firm grip on her reins. Every now and then, she'd look at Sophie, who seemed absolutely awed by her surroundings.

"I'll have to admit, I thought that you'd take to the height badly."

"W-well, it's quite different from horseback, that's for sure ! But I'm not one to be fearful ! And beside, I know that as long as you're riding, then I'm fine !"

"Correct."

Truth to be told, it was hard to have a conversation at such altitude, and beside, the house wasn't that far away from Windmire : The wyvern's speed meant that after the initial flight, the two riders soon started to head downward, towards Kana's house. Well, her parent's at least.

Landing next to her mother's own wyvern, Kana proceeded to go ahead and pat her companion on the head, while Sophie herself went down, taking off her helmet again and observing the (slightly) older woman with something akin to jealousy. The young princess did eventually notice it, turning towards her.

"Is there something wrong ?"

"No, no, it's just… well, I'm kind of envious that you're so close to Francine ! What's the trick ?" she asked, a bit excitedly.

"Wyverns are not the same as horses, Sophie."

"Right, sorry for the stupid question… it's just that I'm jealous. I won't ever get to have such a relationship with him."

Kana thought of just telling her to go for another horse, but remembered what she made her vow. Thankfully, Sophie figured it out apparently.

"Aww, I know, but Dad gave him to me, and Mom told me to never give up on my endeavors…"

"A noble piece of advice. Anyway, I'll go change."

Kana went upstairs briefly, though on the way, she briefly stopped and looked to the left, noticing her mother in the kitchen, her eyes set on a soup. The dragon's daughter briefly approached her, in an attempt to surprise her, but Beruka turned around after about two seconds, with a satisfied, if small, smirk on her face.

The 43 years old woman changed little over the years. She had the same haircut, the same bandana, and still had a formal uniform instead of more casual clothing. Her facial expressions were a bit more relaxed though, even if her eyes were still as sharp as ever.

"You would attempt to sneak up on me even after arriving on a wyvern ? Odd." She said.

"I was merely testing your reflexes, mother." Answered Kana. "I've brought Sophie here."

"She made herself heard."

Kana contemplated the soup briefly, attempting not to look curious, but Beruka was quick to spot her curiosity, folding her arms.

"There's no need to try to hide your curiosity, Kana."

"Are you cooking ? Well, not… that I'm displeased over it, mother. I just hope that it won't be too…"

"There won't be too much salt, because I'm not cooking. It's your father."

"Oh, where is he ?"

Beruka pointed at Kana, and the woman turned around just in time, whirling around to face her father !

"Oh ! Beruka !"

"Haha, I knew you were there, papa !" She said, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tight. Corrin reacted with an amused chuckle and hugged back in kind, Beruka glanced somewhere and closed her eyes, letting out an amused chuckle.

The dragon prince didn't look too different. Slightly longer hair perhaps, and his clothes were more regal and befitting of one of his stature. His eyes bore more wisdom as well, reflecting that his usual inner conflicts and hidden doubts perhaps died down ever since the 20 years of peace.

"Papa ?" He said, causing Kana's eyes to widen, putting both hands on her mouth. He only smiled, though.

"You can call me whatever you want though, haha ! Just like how you'll always be my little dragon !"

"As long as nobody hear about it…"

"Someone did."

Beruka pointed at the doorstep, where Sophie stood. The young woman was halfway rid of her armor, revealing a black shirt, with long sleeves and a turtleneck of a sort. The lower half of her armor was still present, and she was effortlessly carrying her upper armor and helmet. Well, _was carrying _indeed, since Sophie promptly dropped them to the ground, a wide smile appearing on her face.

"Papa ?"

"Sophie. You… how did you sneak up on me ?"

"W-well, I don't know myself… maybe you're a better teacher than you think, miss little dragon, tee-hee !"

"You will not report this to anyone !" Said Kana, blushing. "It's… it's just a thing that I never quite dropped !"

Beruka moved over to pick up the scattered armor, while Corrin attempted to smile wisely, though the fact that he was obviously trying not to laugh pulled quite a dent in his image as a wise mentor of a sort.

"Calm down, Kana… how are you, Sophie ? Training going well !"

"Sure thing ! Kana's a good teacher ! But she keep using her super abilities while training ! It's not fair, isn't it ?"

"Battles aren't fair. Kana is right to use whatever is bestowed upon her."

Kana agreed with her mom with a quick nod, and folded her arms.

"At least I'm not using my Dragonstone ! Anyway, I'm going to get dressed. We've got a meeting coming up."

"Hey, that's not fair ! I can't greet my parents and a princess while clad in armor ! Or… some underpants and shirt !"

"We've got rescue clothing." Said Corrin. "I warn you though, they're unique…"

"Heh, I'll try anything !"

…

"Well now you've tried anything." Said Kana, casually observing the fancy box that contained her Dragonstone, though she sometimes looked at Sophie with something akin to amusement.

The sight of the teenager, clad in Beruka's old "fancy" cloak, was enough to get a smile out of the princess, though Sophie herself was unamused, glancing at Kana in something akin to indignant silence.

"Mom's gonna kill me… Maybe I should find a spot where I can dig a hole and…"

"Well, better dig fast."

A carriage emerged out of the horizon, going along at surprising speed down the Nohrian path, to the point where Kana herself got up to try and intercept it if things were to go rough. Luckily enough for the horses, though, they managed to stop on time, stopping in front of the path leading to the house. Somehow, the two young women were not surprised to see "auntie" Peri at the helm, her grin wide.

"Well, we made it in time, Charlotte !" She said, taking her glasses off and spinning them in the air. "It seems that I've emerged triumphant in our little bet !"

"Hrumph ! You drove like a maniac !"

Charlotte and Silas emerged out of the carriage first, with the former now having quite the manly beard to him. His wife was the same as before, though she had a few wrinkles there and there that she desperately tried to hide.

"It's not really polite to go before a princ… oh, wait !"

Percy almost emerged first, but opted not to, allowing Elise to step out instead. The years have been very kind to the youngest princess, who managed to blossom into a beautiful woman, who still had the time to try and see her family and friends. Her hair were a bit shorter, though they were still long enough to reach the middle of her back, and she was clad in elegant clothing, moving about with grace.

Her face was the very image of "tranquility", calmly observing her surroundings and looking at the couple.

"It's alright, Percy. Charlotte is just impatient !"

Percy emerged, and Kana's heart swelled a little. His parent's physique reflected greatly on him, giving the hero of justice a physique befitting a hero such as him. The contrast between his physique and his baby face, with bright blue eyes and smiles capable of melting a glacier, was somewhat endearing. Though right now, he was a little embarrassed, attempting to hide the fact that he had a misbuttoned shirt.

His father's attempt at "correcting the problem" didn't help much, though he still bothered to try and thank him.

"Thanks for the help, er, dad !"

"Aw, don't be embarrassed, Percy." Declared Effie, still as well-built as ever… and also wearing her uniform the wrong way. Arthur, meanwhile, actually had it on correctly, and was also bestowed with a massive mustache.

"Ha ! Son ! Apologies, I might be getting a bit uptight !"

"Hey, Percy !"

Kana ran up to Percy, and practically leapt into his arms, though he easily caught her, not even breaking his footing in spite of the surprise.

"A-ah, Kana ! You caught me by surprise !" He laughed.

"Percy ! It's so nice to see you !" She said, wrapping her arms around his neck as he began carrying her. Sophie, meanwhile, was attempting to blend into the countryside like a scarecrow, obviously failing at it though, since Charlotte's eyes immediately focused on her.

"Sophie ! What are you wearing ?"

"M-mom ! Dad ! You… erm… well, I was…"

"It's fine." Said Silas, stroking his beard a little and laughing. "It's… ah, certainly a little special."

…

Corrin and Beruka observed the arrival of their guest from the kitchen, hands joined together.

"You know, I always saw Percy and Kana coming ? They were raised together since, well, the beginning after all."

"You still got all worried about their first date though, haven't you ?" Teased Beruka.

"Well, all fathers are bound to be that way." He defended himself. "But… heh, at this rate, we might end up becoming grandparents in our 40s !"

"Hrm. I feel old." Said Beruka. "Anyway… Corrin, do you mind if you greet the guests first ? I've got to take care of the plants in the back."

"It might be a little hard considering that Charlotte is a bit riled up but… I'll manage. And you know that whenever I say that…"

"You always either succeed or fail horribly." She finished, though her coy smile indicated that it was naught but a joke.

"It's a lot closer to the former !" He laughed.

They both looked at one another, leaned in, and kissed, holding unto it for a little while (and causing Elise to giggle a little, blushing).

"Don't keep them waiting for too long !" He said, heading out. She nodded, and turned towards her watering can.

…

She observes the flowers, and smile. Only now noticing how healthy they looked.

Beruka had been in the business of making things live for a while now. And while it was hard… it was still very much appreciable.

**FIN.**

**N/A **: And that's the end of it ! Thank you for sticking through for so long ! I'm kinda glad about finishing my fanfic, but also sad in a way. It's bittersweet to end a thing that you enjoy, even if you've only been doing for about two weeks.

I want to thank everyone who reviewed my fic, or followed it, or favorited (is that a word ?) or read it ! Thank you all very much !

I'm going to wait for a few days before doing the other fic ! In that time, perhaps you can still try to tip the balance for either a prequel to this one or a Hoshidian version !

Regardless, I look forward to writing more stories about the weird yet lovable people of Fire Emblem Fates, and sharing them with you !

One last time, Don't forget to leave critics and reviews !

And, also one last time… see you guys soon !


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